Touhou Death Files: Reimu Hakurei
by Vrock8
Summary: Reimu dies slowly and horribly. Character bashing, death, angst, hopelessness and soul-crushing depression ensues. Hatefic.
1. Chapter 1: Uncommon cold

**Disclaimer: **Touhou is owned by ZUN in conjunction with Team Shanghai Alice.

**A/N:** Hi.

This story was inspired by "Gensokyo Archives: Death Files" snuff fic by Azure Xuchilbara. However, unlike that story this one is completely serious, offensive, unfunny, hateful and overall pretty fucked up. But then again, it is subjective. Maybe you'll find the story heartwarming, silly and not fucked up in the slightest. Your mileage may vary.

Let's begin.

**Chapter 1: ****Uncommon cold**

**[… …**** … … … … … … … … … … …]**

"Did you hear? It's Spring! Spring has come, everyone! Spring!"

Lily White glided through the human village, smiling broadly and declaring for gods know what time that indeed, spring has definitely come to Gensokyo and absolutely everyone must celebrate.

The villagers mostly groaned, putting fake smiles on their faces when the fairy flew nearby. And they had pretty good reason for that, because if Lily spotted someone who was looking unhappy, like for example a weary crate carrier after a hard day of work, she immediately announced to him the event of spring arrival by shooting a spray of bullets. The bullets stung, and sometimes left minor burns and bruises that took a few days to heal, so people tried to cheer along.

"Hey, everyone! You know what? Spring has come! It is here, the Spring! Spring!"

"Aw, shuddup!"

The cry came from a dirty and drunk man in torn clothes who was taking a nap in a broken barrel by the road. He crawled out and unevenly stood up, holding an empty bottle in his hand. Lily turned to him.

"You fuckin' stupid white fairy with yer spring, my buddy fuckin' froze to death three nights ago! So shut up!"

"But that was still winter!" Lily exclaimed, unfazed. "And now it's Spring! Come on, look around, grass is growing, birds are chirping and—"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The man clumsily threw the bottle and it flew threw the air, missing Lily and shattering on the house wall behind her. The fairy put her hand up, creating a small energy sphere. She was still smiling.

"Now now, don't be so upset, it's Spring after all! Cheer with me!"

The blast of danmaku hit the man in the chest, knocking him down. He shouted and tried to stand up when another blast hit him in the face. His scream was cut; he crumpled like a ragdoll and fell forward, sprawling facedown on the side of the road.

A family of three walked from around the corner of a nearby house. Apparently, the parents were distracted by their over-energetic daughter, because they missed the sizzling of energy and walked nearly right into battle. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw what was happening of course, but it was too late. Lily had spotted them.

"Spring!" She announced, rotating in the air and creating another sphere.

"Spring!" The little girl shouted, spreading her arms wide and running forward. The energy sphere disappeared in a blast of festive sparks and Lily cheerfully circled around a genuinely happy girl, showering her with illusionary flowers.

They danced like that for a while, in their own little world where everything was bright and happy and nothing bad ever happened. They danced, and a shallow pool of blood slowly spread under the unmoving man at the side of the road. They danced until the terrified parents pulled their daughter away, plastic smiles on their faces.

Lily released a happy sigh. So many more to announce the coming of spring to, so little time. She flashed a smile to the family that was slowly backing away from her and continued down the village road, forgetting about the incident with a drunk nearly instantly.

Spring has come. That's all that mattered.

**[… …**** … … … … … … … … … …]**

Aya felt uneasy. True, it wasn't her first visit to Moriya shrine, but giant stone pillars that supported the main building and the shrine itself, built from roughly hewn grey stones were still a magnificent and foreboding sight to behold.

However, her uneasiness did not come from that, if anything the grandiose building piqued her professional instincts as a photographer. No, the residents of the shrine were the true cause of her uneasiness.

Not Suwako of course. The little girl goddess could be seen in the distance, chasing butterflies on the meadow far below. She radiated power, ancient, primordial power but that was exactly that – just power of nature, without shape or alignment. The power in front of her was different, it was oppressing her, weighting on her shoulders and ordering her to kneel.

"Shameimaru Aya," Kanako said, pronouncing tengu's full name slowly, as if savoring the taste. "It's early for your monthly report, is it not? And still you bother me."

Aya winced. The active goddess of the Moriya shrine didn't look one tiny bit like she was preoccupied with something important, reclining lazily on a mound of pillows near the shrine entrance, a chess board in front of her. Her dress was crumpled and there was a prominent wine stain on her blouse.

"Kanako-san… sama" Aya started, stumbling on an honorary suffix. The aura of the goddess intensified, jumping from uncomfortable to nearly crushing. Aya cleared her throat and shifted, trying to hide the slight trembling of her knees. "Kanako-sama, you asked me to report any significant unusual accidents. Yesterday…"

"I ordered you," Kanako corrected, looking Aya right in the eyes. "I do not ask. I give orders, and you obey. The fact that you receive money afterwards is in no way indication of your freedom."

She broke eye contact and the crushing presence lifted a little. Aya took an opportunity to inhale. Below, Suwako caught a butterfly and was now holding it in her hands, eyeing the insect with curiosity.

"Proceed," Kanako ordered.

"R-right." Aya produced a leather-bound package from her sash. She managed to control her voice, and spoke in a tone of a professional news reporter. "As I said, yesterday a terrible tragedy befell the human village farthest from the Hakurei shrine. Four people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a string of terrible danmaku accidents."

Kanako suddenly sat upright and leaned forward. Her face obtained almost predatory look. "Danmaku, you say?"

"Y-yes," Aya stumbled again, but again controlled herself and continued. "Apparently, the safe bursts of Lily White for some unknown reasons gained in power and became lethal to humans. This is particularly jarring considering the fact that last week another spell card related incident took lives of—"

"I know what happened last week," Kanako cut her off. "What of Reimu? Has she recovered from her illness?"

"No, Kanako-sama. In fact, her condition is rapidly worsening. She fainted in the shrine courtyard the day before yesterday and her coughing fits last longer and longer every day. I've got some photos here."

Aya stepped forward, no longer able to control her trembling. Thankfully, Kanako's attention was on the bundle she gave her, and Aya took the opportunity to quickly step back. Kanako didn't seem to notice, tearing into the leather and hungrily producing a thick bunch of photos.

She started flipping through them, her expression turning more and more bestial with every card. Then, she stopped on one photo and turned it back to show Aya. "Is this is what I'm thinking it is?"

"Uh… yes, she coughed out blood yesterday, just like before. Sorry, it's a bit overexposed and the focus is slightly off but I think I managed to capture the exact moment—"

She was cut off when Kanako suddenly burst into laughter and threw all the other photos up in the air. The wind latched onto them and they fluttered like leaves, falling to the ground. Naturally, some of them came to rest facing up and each and every one of them showed Reimu, a weak, ill and pale Reimu, coughing or lying under her futon with a wet cloth on her forehead.

Aya took a few steps back. She knew Kanako had her moods, but this was way too much. This laugh of hers… it was plainly evil, a laugh of a megalomaniacal lunatic. More than anything at that moment, Aya just wanted to get away and never to return.

Kanako stopped laughing and put the photo down. "And so, the time has come," she stated, looking somewhere in the distance.

"K-kanako-s-sama, I should really get going," Aya stuttered and instantly regretted it as the goddess turned her attention back to her. However, her menacing aura lifted and her expression softened.

"You did a good job, Shameimaru," Kanako said, and her voice had some warmth in it as well. "You deserve a bonus for your skill and discretion. I'll tell Sanae to give you double pay for this month."

"Thank you, Kanako-sama," Aya meekly said, bowing down. She wowed to herself that very moment to throw away any money she would receive from Kanako in the future. "So, till my monthly report then?"

"No," Kanako said evenly. "From this day onward, you are to report me every day. Your orders are to follow Marisa Kirisame, without her noticing you of course, and document any suspicious activity she may be partaking in."

Aya's throat went dry. Kanako's aura spread again, and became nearly unbearable.

"Understood," Aya said way too fast and backed away a few more steps. It didn't help, as Kanako leveled her gaze with her. Aya felt like she was being crushed under a heel.

"I am not finished yet. In addition, you will have to daily check on Reimu's condition and report any other important events. Use your subordinates for that."

"Understood," Aya said again. There was a pause, and Aya felt like her eyes were being slowly gouged out, such was the intensity of Kanako's gaze. She wanted to scream, and couldn't.

"Good," Kanako finally said, releasing her mental grip. "See you tomorrow."

Without thinking of an appropriate response, without even bowing formally Aya ran, taking off in the air and flying forward without picking direction, anywhere just to get away from the goddess of wind. She dared to look back as she flew down the mountain, past the meadow where Suwako was still playing around.

Suwako waved her goodbye, and with her keen eyesight Aya saw to the meticulous detail two colorful butterfly wings sticking out of Suwako's mouth.

Somehow, Aya felt she was exactly in the same situation that unfortunate butterfly was.

In the maw of a god, ready to be swallowed.

**[****… … … … … … … … … … …]**

Reimu coughed. It was yet another coughing fit, dry, exhausting and painful. The pain appeared last week, first nearly insensible, but grew in intensity every day. It was bearable and disappeared shortly after the coughing stopped, but still Reimu awaited each new episode with a growing feeling of dread.

And became harder and harder to hide her condition from the visitors and Marisa.

She stopped coughing and rolled on her side. Lately she spent most of the time in her room, slipping into her futon at first opportunity, and it was not because of laziness. Mundane tasks like sweeping the shrine courtyard and doing laundry became harder and harder to perform with each passing day, like her strength was actively being sucked out by some unseen leech.

"Stupid spring cold," she muttered, turning to the other side. She never heard of a cold that caused the afflicted to cough up blood, but she blamed it on all chest injuries she received in the last couple of years. Yes, that had to be that.

Time ticked slowly and the sun was setting in front of the shrine, painting the room first in gold, then crimson hues. Reimu felt relieved. At least there won't be any more visitors today and she would be able to cough at her leisure, not fearing that someone would go spreading the false rumors that the one and only defender of Gensokyo has gone ill and weak.

She wouldn't have such luck that day, as a high-pitched sound of an airborne projectile announced the arrival of Marisa Kirisame long before the broom-mounted witch became visible from behind the bamboo forest surrounding the shrine. It gave Reimu an opportunity to crawl out of the futon and straighten her clothes a little. She made her way out to the courtyard and leaned on the donation box, looking busy.

Marisa appeared in view and veered for the shrine. She made a circle in the air, leaving a fading trail of stars behind her before dropping altitude and landing at the center of the courtyard.

"Oi!" she called out, waving to Reimu. "How is our favorite ten thousand yen miko doing today?"

"I told you not to call me that!" Reimu protested but Marisa didn't care, coming closer and smiling, her free hand behind her back. Reimu nervously smiled back. She felt a desire to cough, and suppressed it. Marisa must not know.

"Marisa, that better be a ten thousand yen bill you are about to surprise me with," she said evenly.

"It's better, ze~!" Marisa exclaimed and nearly shoved a dirty, burnt and limp tulip into Reimu's face. "It's the first flower of spring, which I personally wrestled away from Lily White in a heated danmaku battle!"

"Ugh…" Reimu uttered, a bit at loss for words. "Thanks, I guess."

She took the flower from Marisa's outstretched hand and started walking towards the kitchen side entrance, waving for the witch to follow. Marisa happily tagged along.

"So, did you fight Lily just for the flower or did she cause some trouble?"

Marisa didn't answer, and Reimu turned to her, a bit puzzled at her silence. Marisa was looking down, and the shade from her hat covered her face. "Yeah, you can definitely say that was trouble," she muttered, then snapped back and smiled. "But I sorted it all out, and it's all fine again, ehehe…"

"Kirisame Marisa, are you hiding something?" Reimu asked with mock harshness.

"Maybe, maybe not, ze~. And as for you, Hakurei Reimu, do you have something to hide as well? A new diet, perhaps?" Marisa said back with a smile, playing along.

Reimu stopped. There was a feeling in her chest, a dry and raspy desire to cough. She suppressed it again.

"Uh, Reimu, you look a bit pale. I everything—"

Reimu suddenly doubled over, coughing and wheezing, her breath raspy and choking. Marisa was momentarily taken aback in surprise, then rushed forward, supporting Reimu's weight.

"Hey, what's wrong? Reimu? Reimu, talk to me!"

"I'm fine… it's just common cold," Reimu choked out between coughs. She wiped her mouth with a back of her hand and straightened up. She felt dizzy, and the world around seemed to have lost its color.

Marisa's eyes went wide. "Reimu? Th-there is b-blood on you hand…"

Reimu looked down, and suddenly the world spun around. Her legs buckled and she fell down, spinning into a downward spiral of darkness, vain cries for her name fading behind.

And in that last moments she thought that maybe it was not just a common cold after all.

**[… … … …**** … … … … … …]**


	2. Chapter 2: Unknown diagnosis

**Chapter 2: ****Unknown diagnosis**

**[… … … …**** … … … … … …]**

"So where is our simulating patient?" Eirin asked with sarcasm, sliding the door to Reimu's room open.

It was early morning, and bright beams of sunlight shone through the shuttered window. Reimu had one hell of a night, coughing through most of it, with blood twice and it scared Marisa immensely. Reimu finally fell asleep by morning, and her friend took that opportunity to get some help.

Now Marisa remained outside of the room, fidgeting with the pointy hat in her hands nervously, and Eirin Yagokoro, the best pharmacist and doctor in Gensokyo walked in along with her assistant. Reisen looked sleepy and was carrying an enormous black suitcase.

"Good morning, doc. Been a while, hasn't it?" Reimu said with a crooked smile.

"Don't call me 'doc', I am a professional and have a degree," Eirin responded with a frown, sitting on a chair beside Reimu's futon. "And I treated you last autumn, so no, not that long."

"By the way, you never told me with what I was down back then. That was some nasty skin rash…"

"Knowledge brings grief, so shove it," Eirin cut her off rudely. "And Marisa, stop eavesdropping and go do something productive for a change."

There was a sound of footsteps moving away from the door and Eirin sighed. She made a sign to Reisen, and the bunny youkai opened the briefcase, taking out an assortment of gleaming metal instruments. Eirin picked out one, a long and flat one.

"Is lobotomy the only way, doc? Maybe we should try some traditional methods first?" Reimu deadpanned. Eirin didn't look amused.

"I know humor is a natural defensive reaction, but in your case I'd refrain from relying on it too much. Hemoptysis, or in your layman terms "coughing up blood", is associated with a list of diseases that provide steady income for the funeral services. So stop trying to be funny, open your mouth, say 'AAAH' and don't move."

"AAAAAA—"

Eirin stuck the flat metal stick in Reimu's open mouth and pushed the tongue down, examining the back of her throat. She retrieved the instrument and released a thoughtful "Hmm…"

"I don't like that "hmm" of yours."

"You are not going to like a lot of things today," Eirin said quite harshly. It was obvious from her expression she didn't like what she just saw. She shuffled through the briefcase and pulled out another device, black, long and ropey one. "Now strip down to your waist, I'll have to listen to what's going on inside your lungs."

Reimu blushed slightly. "Hey, this isn't going to turn out like those raunchy stories in which the doctor and the patient…"

"No." Eirin said dryly.

"And the rabbit! Don't forget the rabbit!" Reisen suddenly piped up, earning a death glare from Eirin. She said nothing though, putting two ends of the instrument into her ears and reaching out to Reimu with a flat metal disk at the other end.

Reimu had no choice but to comply, slipping the top half of her outfit down her shoulders. She stopped bandaging her chest a while ago, as it restricted her breathing and made her coughing more violent and painful. Eirin regarded her with complete indifference, but it was offset by a very lewd and uncomfortable stare from Reisen. Reimu fidgeted nervously.

"Stop moving," Eirin ordered and touched her chest with a metal disk. It felt very cold, and Reimu jumped, her face red like a beet. Eirin seemed unfazed, pressing the disk to another spot.

"Inhale. Hold your breath. Exhale. Inhale…"

This went on for a while, Eirin moving the disk around. Then it repeated, this time on Reimu's back. Eirin then ordered her to cough, an action Reimu dreaded, but it went reasonably well if not for Eirin's change of expression. The lunarian looked more and more grim with every passing moment.

She finally stopped with the device and put it away. "Now, spread your arms like Rumia does, I'm going to feel your armpits," she ordered.

Reimu blinked. Then she blinked again. "Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter? Put your arms up so I can feel the lymph nodes under your armpits."

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"Yes, it is absolutely fucking necessary," Eirin snapped. "And it is fucking important, as all the stupid questions I'm going to ask you and all the stupid exercises I am going to ask you to perform. Because if I don't diagnose you right and you don't receive appropriate medication your lungs will collapse and you will fucking die, Reimu Hakurei, in less than a fucking month."

There was a stunned silence in the room. Then Reimu released a short nervous laugh. That surely couldn't be true, could it? No, it definitely couldn't be true.

Eirin seemed to have calmed down. She pulled out a clean handkerchief out of her bag and wiped her face. The silence dragged on. Reimu raised her arms.

"Good. Now, let's check those lymph nodes of yours…"

And so it went on and on, tests, questions and exercises. Thankfully, Eirin allowed Reimu to put her clothes back on, finishing the most embarrassing tests first. Reisen took notes, and Reimu herself had to fill out a few forms, printed and hand written. She had a coughing fit once, a nasty and long one at that, and it too was made a topic of thorough discussion.

At last, it was over. Reisen gathered the instruments and Eirin left Reimu about a dozen differently colored bottles with a sheet of instructions on taking them. She turned to leave.

"So… are you going to tell me what's going on with me or not?" Reimu wearily asked. Eirin half-turned to her.

"Honestly? I don't know. I have a few theories, each one for a scenario worse than the other but I don't know for sure. To know, I'll have to literally look inside of you and for that I'll need equipment from beyond the border..."

"And for that, we'll have to wake up Yukari," Reimu finished for her.

"Exactly. Now rest, think happy thoughts and pray for a miracle. You are going to need it."

She left, closing the door behind her. Reimu watched as she walked through the courtyard, exchanged a few words with Marisa and took off in the air. Marisa immediately rushed in after that.

Reimu turned and sighed, looking at the battery of bottles that Eirin left for her. It would take some creative lying to convince Marisa that everything was fine with her.

The door slid open and Marisa entered, wearing a mask of smugness and confidence. I was just a mask though, and not a very convincing one.

"So, what's up?" Marisa awkwardly asked.

Reimu waved her medications list. "Your good doctor made me strip, groped my breasts and touched me inappropriately in other places. Then she gave me a list of people to contact for funeral arrangements, because apparently I'm too sexy for this sinful world."

"I see," Marisa said with a smirk, visibly relaxing. "And will your death be a spectacle to behold? I'll bring friends, ze~."

"But of course! I'll send invitations pretty soon. Not to spoil anything, but a part of it would involve me vomiting out my lungs, and they are going to perform an intricate tap-dancing routine before collapsing."

"That joke was horrible, ze~" Marisa said, shaking her head. "But I'm glad you are taking it all so well, I'd be probably freaking out like hell in your place. Now, Eirin told me you need full-time supervision and rest, so let's start your treatment already."

"Aww," Reimu weakly protested, but crawled into her futon regardless. Marisa sat beside her and stared.

"So, are you going to just sit here all day?"

"Yep."

Reimu rolled her eyes. Really, it was all too much. She would have to talk Marisa out of it but it would have to wait a few days, when the witch would get bored on her own.

She turned her back to Marisa and pulled the futon over her head. Maybe it wasn't really that bad. Marisa would speak to visitors and ask for donations, and she would not have to hide her cough anymore. And sleeping for as much as she wanted… that wasn't that bad.

She trailed into sleep. She dreamed of pie.

**[… … …**** … … … … … …]**

A week has passed, and Reimu's condition changed. Unfortunately, it didn't change for the better.

She coughed much less now, but the pain in her chest became persistent. She also became feverish and fainted a few more times, once in a middle of conversation with Alice who volunteered to be her nurse while Marisa was away on business.

Marisa didn't look well either, always returning from her trips around Gensokyo grumpy and dirty. She denied getting into fights at first, but as Reimu kept pressing her about the issue she eventually caved in and started to divulge a very uncomfortable truth.

The spell card system malfunctioned. The common patterns became twisted, and gained in terms of power and lethality. Eirin barely got any sleep, rushing from one traumatized youkai patient to another, mending broken bones and applying burn salves like there was a full-scale war going on.

And that was the main problem. There was no war, no cataclysmic event and no lunatic villain to challenge. Just a string of unconnected accidents due to a fluctuating rules breach.

And as usual, everyone expected Reimu to go and fix it. And she couldn't, because the most she could muster now was going out to the courtyard, all while leaning heavily on Marisa's shoulder, and making a few circles around it before going to bed again, completely exhausted.

Then one morning Marisa rattled her up at dawn. "Come on, wake up, we're going to be late!"

Reimu groaned, reaching out for her clothes. She shied away from dressing up in front of Marisa at first, but now outside help has become a necessity, especially with the bow holding her skirt.

"Can't I just rest today? What's with the—"

She broke into coughing and Marisa hurriedly handed her a clean handkerchief. The spasms were over, and Reimu wiped her mouth clean, leaving thin red streaks on the white cloth.

"We managed to get Yukari's help, and she brought in a machine to look inside of you. It's at Nitori's place and we have to hurry, ze~."

"What I need right now is to pee," Reimu said harshly, slipping into her kimono jacket. "I'm in no condition to go anywhere today, so go tell that old hag to bring the machine here. Not that it will help."

"Don't say that!"

"These syrups and pills didn't help one bit, they only made it worse. It's like she is trying to poison me..."

"Look, Reimu, I..."

Marisa reached out to Reimu, but she slapped her hand away and glared at her.

"Kirisame, are you with them? I know, you've always been jealous of my power, but trying to murder me is just sick. And you've played a role of such a good friend all this time, you little cunt. Well bitch, I'm not dead yet and I am going to fuck you up!"

She threw a clumsy punch and Marisa instinctively dodged, not being able to comprehend what just happened. Reimu overreached and fell on her futon, coughing and wheezing. Marisa just stood, stunned by her friend's sudden outburst, her eyes welling up with tears.

Reimu stopped coughing and sat up, a confused look on her face. She slowly looked around her.

"Uh, Marisa, what happened? I kinda blanked out there for a second... are you crying? Marisa, why are you crying?"

Marisa collapsed on her knees, hugging Reimu tightly. Reimu felt even more confused, and lightly tapped Marisa on the back.

"There there, no need to cry, I'm here, shh. Everything will turn out fine in the end, you'll see. And weren't we supposed to go somewhere?"

Marisa backed away and wiped her tears. She managed a strained smile. "Yes, to Nitori's house. I'll explain on the way, ze~"

They finished morning preparations in a hurry and went outside. A venerable turtle was hanging in the middle of the courtyard, lazily paddling in the air with his legs.

"Oh, good morning, Genjii," Reimu said, making her way to the turtle with Marisa's help. "It's been a while since I last rode on your back. The circumstances are not great but let's have fun, just like old times."

The turtle knowingly hummed and lowered himself to the ground, allowing Reimu to crawl on his back. She sat on it like she usually did and held to the front of the shell.

"Huh. Strange that I still remember how to do it properly. I guess air turtle riding is just one of those skills that stay with you until the day you die."

"Just hold on, okay?" Marisa said, worry in her voice. She didn't like Reimu's comment about death one bit. Not after the last week and the prior events of this morning.

"Oh yeah, can you imagine what happened if I fell?" Reimu said, and the turtle rose up. "They'd write on my headstone: 'Here lies Hakurei Reimu. She fought immortals, gods and the embodiment of subterranean sun. She died by falling off a turtle. Good riddance.'" She finished with a chuckle.

"Stop joking about your death, damn it!" Marisa wanted to shout, and didn't. She took off after Reimu and they flew in silence for some time.

Reimu seemed to enjoy the ride, closing her eyes and turning her face towards the rising sun. Marisa flew a little behind her and lower, silently reciting a mantra "she's not going to fall, everything's fine" over and over again and preparing to catch Reimu if the worst would happen.

The worst didn't happen and before long, they reached the foot of Youkai Mountain. They followed the river and in a few minutes they were in a viewing distance from Nitori's house. It was a strange angled building one third stone, one third wood and the rest of it metal, steaming pipes and spinning wheels.

On a small clearing in front of the house a gleaming metal contraption was standing, a stretcher surrounded by a massive vertically suspended iron ring. Thick bundles of thin tubes stretched from the ring to a series of metal boxes with colorful glass rectangles embedded in them.

Genjii flied lower, preparing to land. Marisa saw now who was present at the clearing. Nitori was running around, examining the flexible tubes that connected to similar tubes coming out of her house, her green hair disheveled as usual. She pulled a wrench out of her backpack and knocked with it on the connector, completely oblivious to the world around her.

Eirin and Reisen were near the small white crate that spewed forth sheets of paper, strange monochrome pictures on them. The sheets also covered the ground, and Reisen looked like she was frantically trying to stop the machine from producing more. Eirin looked terribly frustrated with all this.

Lastly, there was Yukari here, quietly dozing off in the shade of a wide upright metal sheet. Her fingers twitched slightly and Marisa saw to her amazement that Yukari was somehow maintaining a series of small gaps in which some of the tubes disappeared.

They landed, and Marisa helped Reimu to crawl down from the turtle. The machine stopped creating paper sheets and Eirin looked up, noticing the newly arrived.

"Get her into the scanner, now," she barked and order and Reisen rushed in to help Marisa. Eirin turned to the glass displays.

"I see you are just as cranky this morning as usual, Eirin," Reimu weakly said.

"I am cranky because I am surrounded by incompetent fools, have to work in unsanitary and inappropriate conditions, my patient is unstable and late, and Yukari… WAKE UP, YUKARI!"

"… stupid tentacle wolves…" Yukari grumbled and some of the narrowing gaps widened again. "…Kanako, you promised you'll chase them away…"

"But you are here and we can finally start, despite the fact that the last time I operated a CT scanner was over thirty years ago and this printer is as reliable as… YUKARI! WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

Yukari jolted up and her eyes shot open. She peeked from behind the metal shield and Reimu, who was already lying on the stretcher, waved to her. Yukari waved back and immediately went back to her nap. Eirin sighed.

"Anyway, you'd better all get behind the lead sheet when the scan starts. Yes Genjii, this includes you too. Also this is going to take a while unless the machine explodes spectacularly, killing Reimu instantly and thus destroying all of Gensokyo."

"She is joking, right?" Marisa whispered to Nitori, taking the position behind the screen. The look the engineering kappa shot her back was in no way reassuring.

Meanwhile, Reimu felt more and more uncomfortable, mostly due to the fact she was being strapped to the stretcher by leather belts that were most definitely not the part of the device.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked Reisen. The rabbit youkai gritted her front teeth.

"The Schrödinger cats staring at you from inside the ring will get distracted and the reading will be blurry if you move," she said seriously.

"There are cats inside that thing? Really? And here I thought I've seen everything."

"Well, it's not called a cat scan for nothing," Reisen said and leaned in. "The cats are in fact half-dead and half alive, but I didn't tell you this," she whispered and put a finger to her lips like if it was a revelation of a world-encompassing conspiracy theory. Reimu was more concerned with the fact how tight she was strapped in but she didn't complain, and Reisen left her after checking for one last time.

There was a loud humming behind the lead screen and Marisa leaned to look, only to be stopped by Reisen grabbing her arm.

"No peeking, or the cats inside the ring will get distracted and the reading will be blurry," she whispered to Marisa's ear.

"Udonge, stop feeding this bullshit to the poor gullible sods," Eirin interjected, joining them behind the screen and slapping Reisen on the back of her head. "I know you didn't like the waves you saw when I test-scanned you, but this is no excuse."

Eirin turned to Marisa. "I'm not going to lie, this is not the healthiest or safest of procedures, for the subject and the spectators, hence the lead shield. But we have no choice, so poke Yukari from time to time so the gaps around signal cables don't close, and I'm going to talk to Reimu in the meantime and watch the monitors."

She disappeared from view and for a while nothing happened. Reisen immediately joined Yukari in her napping activities, thus putting all poking responsibilities on Marisa. She really couldn't blame her though, for as Eirin's assistant the poor rabbit didn't get much sleep either. Nitori ran around from time to time, double and triple-checking every connection. Marisa attempted some small talk, but the shy kappa just made more excuses to leave her alone with two semi-sleeping youkai and the sagacious turtle. The most Marisa got from her was a promise that she will keep her mouth shut about Reimu's illness.

An hour ticked by, then another one. The printer whirred a few times, dislodging test results, and Eirin moved the stretcher so different parts of Reimu's body were directly surrounded by the ring. Marisa peeked out more than a few times, and it looked like Reimu peacefully slept through most of the ordeal.

Then, Eirin appeared from behind the shield again, holding a thick pack of sheets in her hands. She rather rudely slapped Reisen and ordered her to release the patient. With the help of Marisa, they brought Yukari to her senses for a time long enough for her to open a huge gap and send the diagnostic device back from whence it came, as Eirin insisted it would be to difficult and unnecessary to support its operation in Gensokyo and a lot of people beyond the border would be very upset if it disappeared.

Yukari then immediately opened a smaller gap for herself, returning to her usual sleeping quarters at the boundary. She didn't seem to be interested at all in Reimu's health, and Marisa has found it to be rather odd.

Eirin was acting rather odd too, giving orders and speaking in a dry, even voice. Her face was an unusual mask of complete stillness, her mouth forming a thin horizontal line. She held the test results very tightly and personally gathered all of the stray scattered sheets.

"So, are you going to tell us what's going on or not?" Marisa addressed the lunarian, seeing that she was about to leave.

"I have drawn my conclusions and am going to adjust the medication accordingly," Eirin responded, somehow managing to look Marisa right in the face and avoiding eye contact at the same time.

"What? That's all you have to say? We went all this way—"

"The next few weeks are going to be decisive," Eirin interrupted. "Meanwhile, continue following my recommendations on patient care. I suggest not stressing her any more with transportation today and make sleeping arrangements at Nitori's abode."

She took off and flew away, Reisen at her side. Marisa remained standing, supporting the weight of half-asleep Reimu. In the distance, Nitori opened the door to her home, shyly offering them to get inside.

Marisa sighed. She wanted some certainty, and instead she got… well, nothing except more confusion. It was all strange and failed to add up to some clear picture.

Marisa shook her head. As long as Reimu gets better it doesn't matter. Eirin can act as strange as she wants, and Yukari can act like her usual inhuman self, and even some youkai can injure one another with mutated spell cards but in the end, if everything turns out all right it doesn't matter.

She shifted to adjust the weight and carried Reimu to the entrance of Nitori's house.

**[… …**** … … … … … …]**

They've spent the rest of the day and the following night at Nitori's place. Marisa made a beeline back to the shrine for medications, leaving Reimu alone with the Kappa. Something bad must have happened when she was out, because when she returned she found Nitori outside, afraid and trembling.

Questioning didn't help as it made her even more scared, so Marisa left her alone. The day went without any major incident and at the evening Reisen visited, giving her a new set of bottles and a new set of instructions.

Night has come and gone, and Reimu felt a little better. The flying turtle crawled out of the river and they prepared to leave.

"Um…" Nitori called out to Marisa. "I, um, need to talk to you…"

"Okay, ze~" Marisa agreed, giving the kappa a smile she hoped would be perceived as a reassuring and calming one. She still didn't know how to speak to her without getting things awkward so she decided on a simple approach. "So, what is it?"

"You, well, you wanted to know what's with your friend, and I kinda snuck this out for you."

She reached into her backpack and pulled out a few crumpled sheets with monochrome pictures on them. "Just don't tell Eirin about this, she will get mad. And I hope Reimu gets better soon, she acted… strange."

"Well, thank you," Marisa said, taking the sheets. The pictures on them made absolutely no sense. "For this and everything. Um… take care, Nitori."

Nitori blushed and bowed down deeply. Marisa turned and mounted her broom, and Genjii rose up, carrying the drowsy miko on his back. They took off and flew in the direction of the Hakurei shrine.

Another day has passed. The new medication took full effect, making Reimu sluggish and slow. She barely talked, and spent most of the day sleeping. She did say that the pain subsided, and Marisa could clearly see the cough was easier for her too. Still, Marisa couldn't help but worry. She expected a definite improvement and there wasn't any.

A few days passed, and Reimu's condition didn't change. She still slept through most of the day, but she started to say things, strange, disjointed things out of nowhere. Things like how she could see someone else in the corner of the room or how she could definitely smell burnt toast, while Marisa didn't smell or see anything.

On the fourth day a panicked visitor came to the shrine. From his incoherent ramblings Marisa found out that Chen tried to sneak into Scarlet Devil's Mansion and was nearly killed in a skirmish with the gate guard. Apparently, Meiling's final spell card Extreme Color Typhoon malfunctioned, creating instead of a swirling pattern a solid quartz wall of spikes that connected with predictable results.

And Ran Yakumo was not pleased, trying to avenge her friend's injury and just as predictably being beaten down by the combined power of the mansion residents. She then went on a short rampage through the human village, and sure enough it was there where her own spells misfired, leaving destroyed buildings, more than a dozen people killed and around twenty injured.

Marisa clenched her teeth and went with the villager to start the disaster relief efforts. She had to ask Alice to watch over Reimu once again, and the next few days became a blur of grieving villager faces, clouds of dust and a smell of hospital. Not that Marisa wasn't used to that smell by this point.

Eirin helped, just as Keine and even some of the fairies, serving as messengers and hauling supplies, but the situation was not the one that could be resolved with a few smiles and compensations. To say that the human residents were displeased would be a gross understatement.

The people wanted justice and blood. And the name "Reimu Hakurei" started to appear next to these two words more often than not.

**[…**** … … … … … …]**


	3. Chapter 3: Untrue friendship

**Chapter 3: ****Untrue friendship**

**[… …**** … … … … …]**

The window creaked and Marisa winced, instantly stopping it from opening any further. Yes, Hong Meiling was a subject of jokes and stupid nicknames, but she was also quite a vigilant guard when she was not sleeping on the job, and less than anything Marisa wanted to get into another fight right now.

She pulled a half-melted piece of butter from her pocket and smeared it on the creaking hinge. She tested it carefully, and after ensuring it wouldn't make another sound, she opened the window wide enough to slip in.

The interior of the Scarlet Devil's Mansion looked like it was faithfully and meticulously copied from a very bad erotic vampire story. The hallway Marisa entered through the window was dark, lit only by a single very massive and tasteless candelabrum on the wall. The curtains were heavy, flowing and mind-numbingly purple. The carpet was thick, crimson, and was dotted with lots of stains of questionable origins. The pictures on the walls all showed either obese, serious men in regal clothing or pale, otherworldly women in white crinoline dresses.

The same mostly applied to the rest of the mansion as well.

And it was great, because the building was a rather crowded place, little fairy maids buzzing around and making mostly useless efforts on cleaning away the dust and cobwebs. All these drapes provided very comfortable hiding places and the carpet muffed footsteps to near silence. It was perfect for Marisa's plan.

Of course, it was not the first or second time for her to enter the mansion for the purpose of "borrowing" some rare books from the extensive library, but to say that Marisa knew the mansion like the back of her hand would be an exaggeration. Some rooms and hallways were closed on different nights, and she had to find another path every time.

This time it wasn't easy either, as she had to run to the second floor when she saw a cluster of fairies straightening the drapes. But in the end, her stealth mission went without a hitch and she was finally where she wanted – at Patchouli's library.

Here it was easier. The sickly librarian was mostly immobile, reading a thick leather-bound book and only rarely lifting her head to check on her surroundings. Her assistant, a spunky devilish youkai with two sets of wings was a harder opponent, but Marisa already knew a number of tricks to fool her.

Marisa moved behind the bookcases, timing her dashes with movements of Koakuma. She quickly reached her favorite place for reading when she had to read directly at the library – a gap between a bookcase and an angled for some reason wall. The lighting in the library was such that this gap was looking much narrower than it really was, and judging from all the dirt in it even Sakuya neglected cleaning it properly.

The cat-and-mouse or rather, thief-and-patrol guard game began once again, as Marisa proceeded with retrieving of the books she wanted. There were too many of them to just sneak out, and so Marisa chose a few, snuck into her hiding spot and started reading.

The books were moldy and old, and most of them were written in some pagan language, sprouting phrases like "Aqua pura", "In vitro" and "Quid agis, medice?". The pictures were clear and simple, depicting mostly human muscles and bones, and not resembling in any way what Nitori gave her.

After around tenth book Marisa started to doubt if this medical research of hers was useful at all.

After twenty fifth she gave up.

Marisa crawled out of the gap, stood up and made her way confidently towards Patchouli. Koakuma noticed her first, gasping in disbelief and it attracted librarian's attention. She looked up, her eyes droopy as usual.

"Marisa Kirisame," she said dryly, and it sounded that she put volumes and volumes of unspoken disdain in those two words. She slammed her book shut, creating a small cloud of dust. "Or the Bookstealer from the capital B as I like to call you. And to what I own the hon—"

This was the moment when the dust cloud reached her face and she broke into coughing. She coughed and coughed, but Marisa noticed how different this cough was from that of Reimu's. Yes, it was obvious that it was uncomfortable for Patchouli but it looked like it was something completely natural for her, like clipping of nails or hair combing.

And with Reimu, especially in the last few days it looked like she was in great pain, despite her claims that she really felt better. Her normal breathing became shallow and forced, and Marisa caught herself on a thought that soon Reimu is going to quietly close her eyes after coughing a bit and her breathing will just stop.

She shook her head furiously, pushing the images away. Patchouli, still coughing, glanced at her.

"Anyway," she said in a little while, wiping her mouth and straightening herself. "I don't see a giant sack of books with you, so it's not likely you came to confess your sins and return everything you stole in vain hope I would lessen your punishment. So spill it, I'm a busy youkai."

"This," Marisa said, putting an assortment of sheets in front of Patchouli. "It's a bunch of photos of what's inside Reimu, and I have no clue what this means. Eirin won't tell me either and I need to know, because Reimu is getting worse and worse with every passing day."

Marisa sounded almost desperate, and Patchouli looked at her with surprise. The blond girl definitely didn't look like the usual cheerful Marisa the librarian chased around the library with spell cards. She looked like she was about to cry.

"I… uh, sure, let me see that," she said, and picked the pictures up. She turned them, trying to figure out where the up side was. But no matter how she rotated the pictures made absolutely no sense, so she sighed.

"I'm sorry Marisa, but I can't help you."

Seeing how Marisa's expression changed, Patchouli panicked a little. "H-hey, But I know who can! Lady Remilia can! We'll just ask her to look at these pictures and do a little fortune-telling for Reimu. Koakuma, go tell lady Remilia that Marisa is here and ask her if she can come down to the library to make an important fate prediction for her."

The little devil rushed to the exit. Unexpectedly, Marisa grabbed Patchouli's hands.

"Thank you! Thank you! I promise, once all this is over, I will return every book I ever borrowed from you! And I will even give you some of my own, ze~!"

Patchouli slowly pulled her hands away. This overly energetic and thankful Marisa scared her even more than a previous desperate one. "Uh, I appreciate the notion, but you could just easily ask lady Remilia yourself. It's not she is going to suck your bl—"

"I am going to suck your blood to the very last drop, Marisa Kirisame!" Remilia yelled, throwing the door to the library open. "Then, I'm going to throw your limp bloodless corpse to Flandre, and she is going to play with you until you are nothing but… well, nothing!"

She struck a pose, hands at her hips. Patchouli raspily inhaled and started coughing violently. Marisa blinked.

"What the hell?" Remilia continued, her voice at the same volume. "We are attacked, the whole Gensokyo is rapidly going into a garbage bin and what do you do, Marisa? You break into my mansion, and now you want me, ME, the descendant of Count Vlad Dracula to do a little palm-reading for you? Unacceptable!"

"It's not for me," Marisa whispered, lowering her head.

"I can't hear you!"

"It's not for me!" Marisa shouted, clenching her fists. "It's for Reimu! Reimu is very sick, and nothing helps her! She smells burnt toast all the time, and she is so weak she can't walk anymore, and she… she…"

"Pwah!" Remilia dismissively snorted. "You humans with your colds and your upset stomachs. Fine, I'll do this as an exception but only because it is for Reimu, you hear? Good. And put these blurry scribbles away, I don't need them."

She made her way to the table, pulled in a chair and crashed on it imposingly and defiantly. She put her arm up.

"Sakuya!"

"I'm here, mistress," Sakuya said. The most elegant maid literally appeared out of the thin air behind and slightly to the side from Remilia, in an empty space where there was nothing a moment ago.

"Bring me my tarot decks, now."

"Which one, mistress?" Sakuya asked, bowing slightly. She bowed in such a way it could serve as a greeting for Marisa as well.

"All of them."

"Lady Remilia, you have thirteen—"

"ALL OF THEM!"

"Of course, mistress," Sakuya said with a bow. She disappeared, and Remilia tapped her foot impatiently. Patchouli suddenly found something very interesting on the cover of the book she held in her hands and was examining it very attentively. Marisa was afraid to breathe.

Probably the longest ten seconds ever passed.

"Lady Remilia, your tarot decks, please," Sakuya said, appearing with a shiny platter in her hand on which card decks were neatly arranged. She put the plate on the table in front of the ancient vampire girl.

"And now lo and behold!" Remilia announced, putting her arm up once again. "As Reimu Hakurei receives the never before seen, express and one thousand percent accurate…"

She inhaled a lungful of air.

"EXTREME! FORTUNE! READING!"

She slammed her hand down at the edge of the plate. The plate bounced up and surely would hit her in the face, if not for Sakuya putting her arm forward and catching it effortlessly and gracefully. The cards exploded in the air, fluttering like butterflies and landing mostly on the floor.

Thirteen landed on the table face down, all of them from different decks. There was silence, and Remilia released a quiet "ow", nurturing her hand. She immediately released it though, and confidently reached for the card nearest to her. She turned it over.

Death.

Marisa numbly stared at the card with a skeleton on a white steed. It was very detailed, and it looked like it could leap any moment from the picture. Remilia seemed surprised and Marisa asked her, in a meek and trembling voice:

"W-what does this mean? There are many meanings to cards, right? It doesn't mean-"

"Shut up," Remilia barked, and turned another card.

Death.

"I need some fresh air," Patchouli blurted out and ran for the door, tripping and nearly falling over. Sakuya caught her in time, and the sickly librarian disappeared in the doorway. Remilia reached for another card.

Death.

Marisa felt like she was about to faint. She held on to the nearest bookcase and watched Remilia put her hand on yet another card.

"Sakuya, did you do this on purpose?" she asked harshly.

"Mistress, you can see when I am using my powers, and I wouldn't even think of doing such an undignified prank in such a serious situation," the maid said with yet another slight bow.

"I see," Remilia said, and turned the card.

Death.

Marisa blacked out.

**[****… … … … … …]**

Remilia didn't suck out Marisa's blood or throw her to her sister for amusement. In fact, she acted very polite and restrained after the ordinary witch regained consciousness, even offering her to stay for the rest of the night in one of the guest rooms.

Marisa just a politely refused and asked instead if it was within Remilia's power to change the inevitable upcoming fate of Reimu. She received a polite and firm no.

Thirteen cards on the table with "Death" written on them were not to be denied.

After being escorted through the front gates out by Sakuya, thus earning from Meiling a surprised "Wha…?" Marisa took off in the air and flew towards Eientei. Eirin had a lot to answer for.

The night sky became slightly lit, signifying a coming of dawn in the next few hours. Sprawled in the middle of a bamboo forest the rabbit mansion looked like a fat dark hog, its windows unlit and its residents most likely peacefully sleeping.

Most of them were violently woken up when Marisa banged with all her strength on the front door. Candles lit up, the window on the second floor opened and Marisa was greeted with a large bucket of cold water. She managed to dodge the main torrent but it splashed on her dress nevertheless.

There was a loud giggling from above that definitely belonged to Tewi and the window slammed shut. Marisa resisted an urge to blast the door open with the Master Spark. Barely.

She banged on the door again and it was opened by a very sleepy and displeased Reisen in a white nightgown.

"I need to see Eirin, now. Tell her that it is about Reimu and that I know _everything_."

The humanoid rabbit nodded and closed the door, shuffling deeper into the mansion. Marisa nervously paced on the porch, and the lights inside went out one by one.

After a short while the door opened once again and Reisen offered her inside. She led her down the dark corridors, a single candlestick in her hand. She opened one of the nondescript doors and made a sign for her to get inside. She closed it behind Marisa and turned the key in the lock, bolting the door shut.

Marisa was standing in a large square room dominated by a single wide oak table in the middle. One wall was covered by anatomical posters, at another one stood massive, dark bookshelves, and on a wall right in front of Marisa there were portraits of old men with vulture features, all staring her down like she was an insect.

As was Eirin, sitting rigidly upright behind the table, her clothes ironed and her braid properly knotted. A single candle illuminated the room, and it was set at the top of a bleached human skull.

"I know _everything_, Eirin," Marisa condemningly declared. "You were slowly poisoning Reimu, and she would have died if I didn't notice in time."

Eiring raised an eyebrow. "Really? And what proof do you have?"

"This!" Marisa announced, and pulled out the sheets she got from Nitori. "This is the proof. Because these are just blurry nonsensical pictures, red herrings to throw us off. There are no such pictures in books and even Patchouli doesn't know what this is."

She theatrically threw the sheets forward and they spun, landing at the table. Eirin picked the sheets and flipped through them.

"And so this leaves the only logical conclusion: you are the villain. Now stop giving Reimu poison and I might, _might_ consider sparing your life."

Eirin sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She sighed again. "Marisa, pick up the chair and sit down."

"No! I won't! Not before you confess!"

"Please."

There was something in the tone of her voice that stopped Marisa. Eirin, despite her appearance and the sinister atmosphere sounded extremely, unbelievably tired. And she looked tired as well, despite her posture.

Marisa did like she was asked and sat in front of the table. Eirin sighed once again.

"Marisa, I am not poisoning Reimu. These scans are scans of Reisen's spleen from the first test run, and even I don't see much sense in them."

She paused and leveled her gaze with Marisa. A shadow of pain passed her face, but she controlled it.

"Marisa… your friend Reimu has lung cancer."

Somehow, these words didn't affect Marisa like Eirin expected. She didn't shout in denial, or break into tears, or hang her head in resignation to the inevitable. She didn't even look particularly shocked, just slightly miffed and confused.

"And it so advanced it has already metastasized into her liver and brain. It is too late and there is nothing I can do. I am sorry I hid it from you at first, I shouldn't have done it."

And these words didn't have any effect either. Marisa just looked even more confused, and tilted her head slightly to the side. Then, she spoke.

"Wait, Reimu has a constellation inside of her? And it metafictionalized? What?"

There was a pause, and then Eirin slapped her forehead.

"Oh fuck me sideways, she doesn't even know what cancer is, just fucking fantastic. Gensokyo is such an enlightened and majestic land, I can't wait to discover more wonders of it."

"Hey! That's Reimu's life we are talking about!"

"I know, I know," Eirin said, calming down. "It's just a bit of a culture shock for me. Look, I'll explain, just give me some time. It's half past five in the morning and I'm not firing on all cylinders. Just… be silent for a while."

She closed her eyes and started massaging her temples. This way she didn't look even a fraction as sinister as Marisa first saw her when she entered the room. And the room itself also lost its dreary look, just a dimly lit practical cabinet of a medical worker or a scholar interested in anatomy.

"Okay," Eirin said, snapping back. "I'll just imagine you are Cirno and try to make it short and entertaining so we both don't fall asleep here. But you'll need to accept what I say without questioning, okay."

Marisa nodded, and Eirin breathed in relief. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"So okay, imagine human body as a kingdom," she started.

"With a king and queen, ze~?" Marisa innocently asked.

"No, it's more like an oligarchy… no, forget that, it's just an abstract kingdom. The people in your head think, the ones in your heart pump blood, and blood is also made of people. The people in your lungs breathe. Are you following me so far?"

Marisa nodded again, not really understanding any of it.

"Good. Each and every one of these people knows his place, his duties and knows that when they become old or useless and it's time to die, they die. The new ones are born in their place, everything works fine and the kingdom prospers. And Reimu does her usual Reimu stuff, and everyone is happy."

Eirin reached into the table and produced a thing bundle of sheets, the test results. She searched through them, and pulled one out.

"But one day, one little hard-working man in Reimu's right lung was crippled in an accident. He could no longer help her breathe, but he didn't want to die either. His pain drove him insane, and he desired to live forever. And he, in his madness, desired for everyone else to be just like him."

She pointed at the small white spot in the picture. It was in the centre of a radial aberration, white lines spreading from the spot like grasping tentacles.

"And the secret police of Reimu's kingdom didn't catch the insane man in time, and those brave few who did find him, he killed. And so he became the leader of the new insane cult, and proclaimed himself a god, infecting more and more with his madness. He spread all over her body and now he can't be stopped, because there are billions of him, each and every one capable of starting a new uprising, each and every one a living part of her. He will consume her, and she will die. And he will die with her."

Marisa's throat went dry. The thought that any part of her body, at any time could just do that was mortifyingly dreadful. She needed to say something.

"Your medication—"

"Mostly sedatives now, to lessen the pain. It is way too late for any treatment or surgery and I am incapable of miracles."

Marisa shook her head. It could not just end like this.

"Hourai elixir—"

"Requires a reasonably functional liver to take hold and work properly into her system. And brewing one takes years, we have two weeks at most, and the last one she is going to spend in coma or go insane from the tumors in her brain pressing on the healthy tissues."

Marisa shook her head again. There must be something…

"Yes, a miracle! Of course, ze~! I'll just go to the Moriya shrine and—"

"Already done that, on the next day after the tomography. You are not the only one here trying to save Reimu."

She made an emphasis on trying. Marisa's heart sank. "At the shrine…"

"Kanako told me to fuck off, in a contrived and roundabout way, but she did," Eirin spit. Clearly, this event was not something she wanted to recall. "Fed me piles of this shit about how faith is for the transient people and how miracles are only reserved for the faithful. Fed me piles of shit about how she will mourn Reimu's passing. And when I pushed her away and tried to go in to talk to Sanae, she nearly crushed me with air pressure and attacked me with spell cards."

She rolled up her right sleeve and showed Marisa a red irregular scar. "She swore the last spell malfunctioned, but I think she tried to kill me on purpose. I dodged, yes, but if you were in my place Marisa, you would have died. And if you think of sneaking in… please don't. Kanako is aware of everything within her shrine, and it wouldn't end well."

Nothing was left to say. Marisa hanged her head even lower, not really crying but close.

"Why," she whispered. "It is so unfair…"

"Why is it unfair? It is a pretty logical conclusion to Reimu's lifestyle. You can't expect to fight something like this every year and live a long life. She went close to the subterranean sun last autumn, got bombarded by nuclear particles and went down with mild radiation poisoning. The dose was not that heavy, but unfortunately it was enough for her to develop such a rapidly growing tumor. I told her to contact me in case of any discomfort, but I probably didn't stress that enough and… Marisa, are you listening to me?"

Marisa was not looking at Eirin anymore. She now knew who killed Reimu. Utsuho Reiuji, and that stupid bird bitch was going to pay. Oh yes, she was going to pay.

Marisa stood up to leave. Eirin stood up too, slightly unnerved by Marisa's silence and murderous facial expression. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"I'm sorry, I probably should have used different words. I am not a psychologist but I advise you to not do anything drastic without thinking first. After all, it's not really the end. There is afterlife, and heaven, and reincarnation, so—"

"Thank you for your time, Eirin," Marisa said in a flat, hollow voice. "I am sorry I blamed you at first, but I see now you did everything in your power. Too bad it wasn't enough to save her."

She walked to the door, and heard key turning in the lock. Reisen opened it from the other side, offering to light the way out. Eirin just stood, at loss for words. She knew she had made some kind of mistake, but she couldn't discern where. She could only hope everything would turn out for the better eventually.

"And now it's my turn to set things right," Marisa said without turning and slammed the door shut.

**[****… … … … …]**

The dawn was breaking over Gensokyo, and Marisa felt dizzy. After all, she didn't get any sleep this night and it was both extremely physically and mentally taxing.

She flew slowly and carefully, playing it safe and staying higher over bamboo than usual. Her levitation spell fluctuated once, and crashing into the ground because of exhaustion would be unbelievably stupid. She remembered Reimu's comment grimly, and thought that for her they would probably only write "Here lies Kirisame Marisa. Good riddance."

After all, what did she ever do? It was Reimu, always Reimu who stood up to the real threats to Gensokyo. It was Reimu who stopped the Scarlet Devil mist, and beat some sense into sclerotic Yuyuko, and restored the moon, and showed Kanako who is really in charge here. It was her who went into the blazing hell last autumn so Gensokyo would once again be safe.

And Marisa? She always had all the fun. She tagged along, and visited Reimu on parties, she helped her a bit with cleaning sometimes but that was all.

"I could've been in her place," she said, despite there was no one around to listen. "I should've been in her place. I had to go there instead of her, I had to and I didn't! WHY? WHY DIDN'T I GO THERE INSTEAD OF HER?"

Her tears left a streak behind her, just as the sparks from her broom did. She flew towards the shrine, screaming, crying, wailing, sobbing…

She reached the shrine grounds and landed at the bottom of the wide staircase that went up the hill. She wiped her tears clean, and made a forced smile. Reimu shouldn't see her like that. She will help her till the very end, and then come to visit her in the netherworld or wherever often. It would turn out okay eventually.

She made her way up the stairs and saw Alice at the shrine entrance. There was something odd in how she sat, leaning heavily on one side and panting. Marisa ran forward.

"Alice? Why are you outs—"

She now saw what was really going on. Alice's dress was torn at the back, and her Shanghai doll was pressing a bloody handkerchief to the wound on her back. Alice was pale, and her breaths were shallow and forced.

"Alice, what happened?" Marisa yelled, and leaned in to help. Alice weakly pushed her hand away.

"Help… Reimu. She is not herself, she is trashing everything inside… and she's got a knife. I never expected her to…"

"Alice…"

"I'm fine, just go. You know I'd do anything for you… and you'd do anything for her. So go, I'm not going to die… I promise."

Marisa stood up. Will this torture never end? Now Alice is hurt too, and how many more will be in the future? She clenched her teeth and stepped inside the shrine.

She heard a faint voice. It belonged to Reimu and she was talking to someone, but no one talked back. Marisa leaned to the wall and slowly and silently went deeper.

The interior was trashed, just like Alice said. The paper room walls were cut, vases were broken and chairs overturned and thrown around. How could Reimu who was way too weak to even stand up do all that Marisa just couldn't understand.

"…I am not you, and you are not me. I never looked like a walking skeletal corpse. Stop looking at me…"

Marisa carefully inched closer. With all the debris on the floor it was harder and harder to stay silent.

"I said, stop looking at me. I am the only one true Reimu, you are not my reflection, you are a demon behind the glass. Stop looking at me or I'll hit you again."

Marisa peeked into the room she heard the voice from and barely suppressed a scream.

Reimu was completely naked, standing up and swaying unsteadily in front of a full-height mirror. The mirror was cracked, and Reimu was barefoot, her feet cut by the shards. She held a bloody knife in her hand, and her other hand was also covered in blood, tiny red drops falling down from her fist.

"I said, STOP LOOKING AT ME!" Reimu screamed, and punched the mirror again, causing more shards to fall out.

Marisa hid behind the corner. Her heart raced and she couldn't control her breathing. It would require a plan to subdue Reimu carefully. It would require…

"Mariiisa, I saaaaw you…" Reimu sadistically sang.

Marisa held her breath. This had to end quickly, or she would just panic and then it would surely turn into a tragedy. She stepped around the corner into view.

"Reimu, calm down and give me the knife. Or just throw it away if you don't want to. You are very sick and you don't know what you are doing."

She pleadingly reached her arm forward. Reimu laughed.

"Sick? Me? Well of course I am, because you are poisoning me with your fucking pills and your rotten syrups. You all want me dead, you, Alice, Eirin, everyone. EVERYONE!"

She made a clumsy, but a very fast swing with her knife. It was too far away to reach Marisa, but a few drops of blood reached her dress. Reimu took a step forward.

"Marisa, I defeated a god. A fucking GOD. I resisted the pull of subterranean sun. A MOTHERFUCKING SUN!"

She took another step and swung again, still too far to reach. "And you say I can die because of some stupid cold? No, it is a conspiracy to get me killed, everyone out there wants me dead, wants me—"

Marisa lunged forward, slamming into Reimu's body. She caught her wrist and wrung the knife away. They fell on the shard-covered floor, Marisa on top, and she pinned Reimu's arm down with her knee. She felt how really weak Reimu was, but the naked girl still tried to struggle.

"Oh, so this is how it's going to be, huh?" Reimu said, and spit into Marisa's face. She tried to hit her with her other arm but Marisa pinned that one down too. Reimu panted, each breath coming out with a wet raspy squelch.

"Reimu, please…"

"Come on, I know you want to. You've got the knife now so do it, prove me right. Prove that I'm fucking right!"

"Reimu…"

"Or do you want something else, Marisa? Was it just a plan to make me weak, so you could have your way with me? Then do it, stick the handle of the knife into my vagina, fuck my virgin pussy like you always wanted to. Or would you use the blade instead? I promise I would moan, and pretend I like it."

Marisa threw the knife away like it suddenly became white hot. It clanked against the broken mirror and fell, sticking into the floor. She tried to close Reimu's mouth with her now free hand and immediately realized it was a mistake when Reimu violently bit her. She jerked her arm back, blood coming down on Reimu's bare chest.

She didn't do anything else. She kept holding Reimu down, and her blood kept falling down. Reimu gritted her bloody teeth.

"What? That's it? You fucking coward, you don't even have it in yourself to hit me back."

Marisa felt tears blurring her sight again. How many times she cried already? She thought she would've run out of tears by this point. She didn't.

"Reimu, I'm your friend…"

Reimu gave her a hateful glare. "Bullshit. If you were my true friend you wouldn't let me suffer this much. Do you know in how much pain I am?"

"I'm sor—"

"Don't be sorry. Put your arm around my neck and strangle me if you are too much of a wimp to use the fucking knife. Ask Eirin for real poison if you can't do even that."

Marisa didn't answer, her tears falling down along with blood drops. Only after a while she noticed that Reimu's body relaxed under her and she was no longer talking.

She wiped her tears instantly and looked at Reimu's face, fearing the worst. But no, she was still breathing shallowly, having finally lost consciousness. Her head craned to the side and her emaciated neck was exposed, thin veins pulsing on it.

Marisa slowly reached forward. Reimu's neck was so thin she could almost close her one hand around it. It felt warm.

"No, shit, not like this, you can't ask me to do something like this. You can ask me anything, but not this. Not this."

Reimu's neck was still in her hand, her breaths still raspy and forced. Marisa tried to squeeze her hand, and couldn't.

"Please, Alice, Eirin, Yukari, somebody please, walk in right now. Please, somebody, make this decision for me. Please stop me, pull me away, please..."

This time, the tears didn't come. Marisa felt like she was going insane. Blood drops still fell from her other arm, and the silence was broken by them falling and hitting Reimu's barely moving chest.

Nobody came in. Marisa's hand was still resting on Reimu's neck, feeling every breath, every heartbeat. The heartbeat she was asked to stop. The one thing she couldn't do.

Marisa pulled her arm back and slowly stood up.

"Shit."

**[… … … …]**


	4. Chapter 4: Unholy justice

**Chapter 4: ****Unholy justice**

**[****… … … …]**

Eirin visited the shrine closer to midday. She said little, treating their wounds dispassionately. She did ask what happened last night, and Marisa summarized it briefly. Reimu got the knife, injured herself and the others. Eirin didn't push for details.

Alice felt better, and her wound turned out much less serious than expected, as the knife didn't go deep, scratching against her shoulder blade and missing any major arteries. Eirin even allowed her to go back home, and after giving Marisa an apologetic look she flew away. It was obvious that despite her claims of loyalty all of this was way too much for her, and Marisa couldn't really blame her for that.

Reimu came back to her senses and was clearly surprised when she was told that all the mayhem in the shrine was her own doing. Marisa avoided talking to her, answering questions briefly and to the point. Reimu looked a bit hurt, but she did understand that something bad happened and she didn't want to pry right away. Marisa would tell her in due time anyway.

Eirin decided against restricting Reimu's freedom of movement, ordering Reisen to look after her instead. Marisa could finally get some well deserved sleep.

Two days have passed, and Reimu's condition changed for the worse if it was even possible at that point. Her temperature spiked and fell, she was spewing nonsense most of the time when she was awake and her lucid moments became shorter and shorter. Reisen relieved Marisa from most of the unpleasant duties, but the smell of urine in the room became now a constant part of it.

And Reimu still had more than a week to live.

Two days later Marisa entered the room, her clothes cleaned and ironed, a smile just like in old times on her face. She asked Reisen to leave them alone for a while and sat to the unconscious and feverish Reimu.

"Hey there," she started and gently caressed Reimu's sunken cheek. "Just wanted to drop by and say I've found a way to save you, ze~. It was so easy I feel stupid for not figuring it out before."

Naturally, Reimu didn't answer and Marisa continued.

"I am going to gather everyone and rain an epic beatdown on Moriya shrine, drag Kanako here in chains and slice little bits off her until she orders Sanae to grant you a miracle. Just wait for me here and I promise we'll get through this…"

"Don't," Reimu quietly said without opening her eyes.

Marisa jumped up. "But I must save you! It's the only way!"

"True miracles don't work… this way," Reimu continued, taking breaths every few words. "You can't force it… out of someone, you can't ask for it, you can't… deserve it by leading a pious life. It just happens, or doesn't. And don't start a war… over me, please."

Marisa fell silent. What was she talking about? Miracles do work this way! Sanae waves her arms around, and things get better! Did Reimu, a very lucid and sane Reimu just told her to give up, just like that? It was the same as killing her!

"You couldn't hear me back then but I told you can ask me anything except to kill you, so I'm still—"

Reimu opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Marisa. She didn't look pleased.

"I'm asking you right now to not start a war in Gensokyo," Reimu said quite harshly despite her weak voice. "Kanako has many followers… and if innocents suffer… I will never forgive you."

"And will you forgive me if I kill Utsuho Reiuji, the one responsible for your death? Because avenging you is the only thing left for me then."

Reimu's gaze softened, and she closed her eyes. "Marisa, you foolish girl. It's not the only… thing left for you. And Utsuho… it's not her fault."

"I can't just give up and do nothing!" Marisa shouted, causing Reimu to wince.

"Well, if you are so eager… to do something… and since you mentioned it… go to hell..."

There was a pause, and it looked like Reimu has fallen asleep again. Marisa patiently waited.

"Go to hell…" Reimu said a after a while, and rolled in her futon to face the window. "… and invite Utsuho for a visit. I never talked to her… after last autumn and I'd like to know… how she fares…"

She tucked in more comfortably. Marisa sighed.

"Stupid selectively forgiving ten thousand yen miko," she whispered.

"I heard that."

**[… … …****]**

Marisa left Reimu with mixed feelings. She was thankful for one more chance to speak to her, but it also left a bitter feeling in her heart.

The time would soon come for the final goodbyes to be said. It was already time to make funeral arrangements, and merely two weeks ago Reimu joked about it, waving the first, the briefest list of medications Eirin gave her.

Reimu will die. There was no other way to put it and try as she might, Marisa couldn't find it in her heart to believe in a true miracle. Reimu will die, there will be a funeral, guests will come from all over Gensokyo, Suika will get drunk, Yuyuko will most likely eat more than her usual ten courses…

And then there will be waiting, torturous, slow waiting for everything to be resolved with Reimu's soul. She would have to cross the river of the dead, be judged for her sins and then sent somewhere on a whim of the judge. It could take months, years even before Marisa would be able to see her again. And even then, it would be a most awkward reunion.

But for now, it was still something for the future worries. More pressing matters were at hand, like for example how to get over the bridge to hell without dying.

The road to hell was easy enough. Just like Reimu described, it was a dimly lit long tunnel paved on all sides with dark rectangular stones. The road was empty, save for a few stray spirits or fairies, and Marisa had no trouble traversing it at all.

The bridge was another matter. Its guardian, the green-eyed youkai named Parsee was not nearly as vigilant as Meiling but she made up for that by restlessly pacing around, gnawing at her talons and mumbling something to herself. To slip past her Marisa had to hang over the stone edge of the bridge every time the muttering youkai moved in a sight range.

Oh, and the bridge distorted levitation magic, so falling off would lead to a quite graceful splatter on the jagged rocks below ten seconds later.

"Here lies Kirisame Marisa," the witch muttered, hanging over the ledge, holding to the rough stone with little more than her fingertips. "She was afraid to challenge the youkai of jealousy and has fallen to her death. Good riddance."

Parsee walked past her. Her mumbles about how she would have Youmu's blades faded in the distance and Marisa pulled herself up on the bridge. She dashed in the direction she needed to be.

Parsee walked to the end of the bridge and turned. It was pretty dark around and thanks to her black dress and hat Marisa could be mistaken for a shadow or a stray dark spirit. She leaned over the edge again.

"Here lies Kirisame Marisa," she muttered again, listening to the footsteps. "Yet another invader of Hell who died like an idiot. Good riddance."

"… and then I will get myself a hat just like Suwako has, and everyone will say in awe 'Parsee! You have eyes on your hat, it's so cool!' but I will have four eyes instead of two, and it will be so much better, because four is…"

Pull up. Dash. Hang from the ledge.

"Here lies Kirisame Ma—"

A piece of stone crumbled under her hand and she frantically threw her arm to the side, regaining balance. Suddenly, it all stopped being funny. No, it was never funny to begin with.

Parsee walked by again, and Marisa made one last dash. She reached a stone that was large enough to hide her and crashed behind it, panting and wiping the sweat. Her hands trembled from strain, and the bandaged wound from Reimu's bite started to hurt. At least it didn't bleed again.

"Okay, let's never do that again except for the time when I'll have to get back," Marisa made a silent vow and looked towards the crumbling ancient city in the valley before her. No, not just an ancient city, it was _the_ Ancient City in which was located _the_ Palace of Earth Spirits near which was located _the_ Hell of Blazing Fires.

And naturally, all of this was in no way imposing or spectacular. The Ancient City was a series of sprawling brown and dusty ruins, the Palace of Earth Spirits looked nothing like a palace, more like a mansion of a broke nobleman, and the Hell of Blazing Fires was a smoking fire pit maybe two hundred feet across. It all reeked of neglect and decay.

The streets of the city were far from empty, morose spirits and other denizens going about their dismal joyless business. Marisa, with her black dress and dirty hands and face blended right in, hanging her head and joining one of the silent processions.

The palace had no guards, and the streets around it were mostly empty. Marisa walked in through a half-crumbled side arch, keeping to the shadows.

And this was as far as her plan extended. She thought she'd find Utsuho somewhere around the blazing fire pit, but it was empty so the only choice left was to ask the hell raven's owner Satori Komeiji, and Reimu described this youkai in not the most praising ways.

Well, at least she wasn't hard to find at all. The purple-haired girl was sitting in the palace inner courtyard, a chessboard in front of her. She was holding a book and making moves on the board referencing it.

Marisa stepped out of the shadows. Satori didn't move, but her third large detached eye rose up on its fleshy supports, giving Marisa an unpleasant stare.

"Um, hello. My name is—" Marisa started, taking a few steps forward, when she suddenly felt like a wet finger was stuck into her brain. The feeling nearly paralyzed her.

"Marisa Kirisame, an ordinary black witch, friends with Reimu Hakurei," Satori said impassively and turned a page. "I just read your mind and now know you more than you know yourself. Please don't let this fact distract you."

Her third eye turned to the chessboard and the feeling disappeared. Satori moved a pawn.

"Ugh…" Marisa gathered her bearings. She felt completely violated, and it was even more revolting because it was so unexpected. She decided not to escalate the confrontation though.

"Utsuho Reiuji. She is your pet, right? Can you tell me where I can find her? I want to talk to her, ze~."

"You want to kill her," Satori said, and a crooked smile formed on her lips. "What you really want is to challenge her to a danmaku duel, be wounded by her and beat her by a margin of the skin of your teeth. Then, when she will fall you want to straddle her, pull out a kitchen knife you brought with you and stab her in the chest."

Marisa was stunned. Her mind went completely blank after these words were spoken. Satori didn't seem to notice, putting the pawn back where it was.

"Next, you envision yourself holding your injured side and walking slowly to the light above, your vengeance complete and nothing else to live for."

"N-no! I… it is not true! I never…"

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Satori chuckled, still not turning to her. She flipped the page back. "But you know what? The part between these two is also very important."

Marisa wanted to scream. She was suddenly aware of the weigh of the knife in her pocket, she remembered how she wrapped it in cloth and put it there "just in case". True, Reimu told her not to, but who knows what might happen? An insult, an insult back, a danmaku battle and then…

"And then the knife will slip in through the eye on her chest, slightly off center and the orb will burst, spilling clear liquid out." Satori said with an evil smirk.

"No, please, I –"

"Her eyes will go wide, and her pupils will dilate from the pain. She will open her mouth to scream, but with a gurgle only blood will come out, staining your hands as you push on the knife."

Marisa dropped to her knees and covered her ears, but she couldn't stop the voice from ringing in her head. Satori moved another pawn on the board, the smirk on her face never fading.

"The knife will slide further, piercing her heart. Her eyes will roll up, and her whole body will twitch. She is going to soil herself, and you are going to remember the smell of her shit until the day you die. Then she will die, but her face will keep twitching slightly, the pool of blood and piss under her going wider and wider."

Marisa fell on her side, curling into a fetal position. She shut her eyes as tight as she could, but the vision kept playing over and over and over again in her head, the knife sliding in, the sickly sound of the eye burst, the twitching, the smell…

Then it stopped, and Satori glanced at Marisa. She stopped smirking.

"After the events of last autumn Utsuho is no longer my pet. I found myself able to read her thoughts and it sickens me, so I threw her out."

Satori closed the book and half-turned to Marisa. Her third eye looked past her, somewhere above and to the side.

"She lives on the eastern outskirts of the city, in a house without a roof. Please, try to enjoy her real death as much as you enjoyed the visions I gave you. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Marisa. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

She stood up and tucked the book under her arm. She picked up the chessboard and slowly and carefully walked towards one of the entrances to the courtyard.

Marisa remained lying on the ground long after Satori left. There was a dull pain in her chest, as if it was her who was pierced with the knife all those times.

She found the strength to stand up. What was the purpose of all this? Was it supposed to be some kind of a lesson? Or did she do it to her because of the sick cruelty of her soul?

Marisa pulled out a wrapped knife from her pocket. The visions no longer felt real, they faded and became jumbled. Marisa furiously shook her head and confidently put the knife back. She is going to talk to Utsuho a bit, invite her to visit Reimu, Utsuho is going to refuse, she will go home, crossing the bridge stealthily once again and definitely not falling. No one is going to die.

She took her broom and flew east. There was indeed a small one-storey house without a roof, standing alone nearly one hundred paces away from the city edge. Marisa landed, creating a cloud of dust.

The house had no door either, so Marisa knocked at the doorframe. She waited for a while but nobody answered, and she carefully stepped inside.

It didn't look like a place a person would like to live in. Garbage littered the floor, gnawed bones and empty sake bottles mixed with black feathers. There was little furniture, and it all smelled of sweat and mold.

There were only two rooms in the house, and Marisa found Utsuho in the second one. Or rather she found something, up to the head wrapped in a dirty and torn blanket. Itseemed to be sleeping.

Marisa decided to wait. She found a dirty footstool in the other room and sat on it, observing the misshapen thing on the bed.

This was all very strange and a bit unnerving. Other youkai she visited preferred human conditions, their houses clean and well lit. Even with more bestial ones like Mystia, who lived on a tree and had a nest inside her home it was more civil. This was just… wrong.

Half an hour passed, and the shape under the blanket moved. There was a yawn, and Utsuho sat up, blinking sleepily. She threw the blanket away and only then noticed Marisa, turning to her.

This is when Marisa released a short scream.

Utsuho had no hair on her head. Her bare elongated skull was covered in scabs and oozing pustules. Her face was relatively intact, but it was offset by a complete lack of eyebrows. She wore rags, which were probably green and white long time ago but now were covered in something that looked like vomit. Her chest eye was glazed, dull and deflated, like air was sucked out of it.

Her right arm ended in a short stump below her shoulder that was bandaged with yet another dirty rag. Her wings were almost completely devoid of feathers, and the ones that remained were tattered and moldy.

"Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?" Utsuho said, standing up. Marisa fell back from the stool, but quickly scrambled back on her feet.

"M-my name is Marisa—"

"Great, Marisa-bitch, I'm Utsuho, the raven from the Hell of Blazing Fires. I once threatened the safety of all Gensokyo, ate the fucking sun and became the embodiment of nuclear fusion. Now you look – you pay, one hundred yen, touching is five, I'll tell you my life story for seven and everything else is three thousand and up."

Marisa gulped. What was going on? Was this really Utsuho? What happened to her?

"Are you retarded? You pay first and only then you look, not the other fucking way around. Hey!"

Utsuho slapped Marisa on the face with her good hand, and it was a rather painful slap. Marisa recoiled and grabbed her cheek. "Utsuho, what happened to you?" she managed to say.

"I was a common hell raven, then Kanako gave me the corpse of the sun god and I ate it, I took humanoid form, became fucking unbelievably powerful and desired to burn all Gensokyo. Reimu Hakurei beat me up, my arm cannon exploded with my arm, my mistress threw me out, my hair and feathers fell off and here I am. This was my life story, and you owe me seven hundred yen for listening, plus five hundred for touching my hand with your face, plus one hundred for looking equals thirteen hundred. Pay up, bitch."

Marisa reached into her pocket with a trembling hand. She counted the coins, it was just about enough. Marisa reached out to give it Utsuho and she took the money. They palms briefly touched and Marisa noticed how hot Utsuho's hand was.

"And that would be five hundred more, please," Utuho said with a serious face, putting the coins into a miraculously intact pocket in her rags.

"I…" Marisa stumbled. "I don't have that much on me!"

"You little shit!" Utsuho shouted, slapping Marisa again, and this time it hurt even more. "You touch me, and now you refuse to pay? You fuck!"

She slapped Marisa again. "This will be fifteen hundred, please."

"WHAT?"

"If you are not going to pay, I will kill you and sell your corpse," Utsuho said with absolute calm. She raised her stump and pointed at Marisa with it.

Marisa backed to the wall. "Wait! Wait! I just wanted to talk! I'm Reimu's friend, and she is very sick! She wanted you to visit-"

The words stuck in her throat. Around Utsuho's stump, two blinking and unsteady concentric yellow rings appeared, blurry and smeared *CAUTION* signs on them. A distant and fluctuating sound of blaring sirens filled the room.

"I am Utsuho Reiuji, the god-swallower! Even if I was defeated once, the power of blazing subterranean sun shall forever burn within me! And you, Reimu's friend, I will cut off your head and send it back to her with a greeting card in your mouth! Such is my ultimate revenge! **Atomic Fire: Nuclear Fusion!**"

Marisa fired first, an action of pure reflex and instinct. The blazing furnace in her hand shot forth a wide bright beam, her signature spell, the spark that was of power just at the edge of safety.

And then she lost control. Instead of blinding Utsuho and throwing her against the wall the beam narrowed, puncturing a hole in her chest slightly to the right of the large eye. Marisa panicked and moved the laser to the right, the beam widening and stripping off skin and flesh from Utsuho's left arm and obliterating her wing. The beam was absorbed by the wall behind her, turning the stone into molten slag.

The spell shut off. Marisa looked in horror at the steaming octagon in her hand. Spell card malfunction. Just like that. Shit.

"Eh-he-he," Utsuho chuckled, her voice mostly normal despite her terrible injuries. "It worked, who would have thought. It turns out I'm not the most gullible one in all Gensokyo after all."

Marisa stared at Utsuho in shock. It was surreal, through the wound she could see her ribs and a beating heart, her skeletal left hand was limply hanging, and still Utsuho smiled.

Marisa swallowed hard. "What?"

"Stupid Reimu's friend, all I can do now is make over-the-top speeches, *caution* signs and siren sounds. And even that started to fail lately, I can't believe you really fell for that…"

Marisa felt like the air was just sucked out from the room. "Why?" she choked out. Utsuho looked down at her exposed ribcage and chuckled again.

"Why? Isn't it obvious? I'm a cripple, I'm all alone, Satori wouldn't let me see Orin anymore and kicks me in the face when I ask for forgiveness. I make my living by begging on the streets and letting perverted spirits touch my arm stump. So I've been picking fights…"

She stopped mid-sentence and fell back. Marisa's stupor lasted a few more seconds, then she ran forward and leaned to the prone girl. Utsuho looked calm, staring somewhere in the sky.

"No! No! You are not alone! We are going to take care of you! I'll introduce you to Alice, I'm sure you'll become friends right away! Nitori will make you new limbs, better than before!"

Utsuho didn't respond. She just kept staring up, and Marisa followed that stare. She saw hell ravens circling far above, cawing and forming intricate patterns. For a moment, she thought she noticed something else among the birds, but it disappeared in a flash. Marisa turned her attention back down. Utsuho kept looking up.

"You want to be accepted here? I'll talk to Satori, beat her up if I have to! We'll get through this together, I promise… Utsuho? Utsuho, speak to me! Utsuho!"

Marisa shook Utsuho's shoulders, but the raven still didn't respond, still staring up and still not moving. Her whole body was absolutely, perfectly still. Her eyes started to glaze over.

Marisa's eyes widened as she realized what has happened. She quickly pulled her arms back and stood up, trembling. She nervously licked her cracked lips.

"Okay. Okay Marisa, don't panic. Hell ravens resurrect. They just pop up again from thin air, better than before. Just like fairies. Just pop up back."

She frantically looked around the room and rushed to the filthy bed, picking up the blanket.

"This was an accident. An unfortunate coincidence and Reimu will understand. I'm not covering up a murder. I'm just protecting the body from predators. And it's not even manslaughter, because hell ravens resurrect."

She clumsily wrapped the corpse up in the blanket. She started dragging it out, to the rocks formation in the distance.

"Hell ravens resurrect, right? They have to, because this is how things work in Gensokyo. Nobody just dies and that's it. I'll see Utsuho pretty soon again, and we'll have a great laugh about all this. Happy fun times in hell. Haha. Ha-ha-ha."

She reached the rocks, and found a niche to tuck the body in. She put a few rocks on top. She nervously looked around, but there was nobody here except for the hell ravens, cawing and circling like nothing happened.

"Okay, I'm not saying goodbye, because it isn't. I'll see you pretty soon again. I'll speak to Nitori about a new right arm for you, just in case. Um, excuse me…"

She blindly ran away, mounting her broom and speeding towards the bridge as fast as possible. She promised herself to return here a after a short while to apologize to Utusho and kick Satori's teeth in.

And in a distance, nearly perfectly blending with the pack of hell ravens, the horrified Shameimaru Aya made the last snapshot of the most scandalous photo report in her life.

**[… …****]**

Marisa made her way back from hell. It wasn't easy, but she managed to. The trembling of her hands didn't go away but she still crossed the bridge without Parsee noticing and, more importantly, falling to her death. She encountered a minor spider youkai on the road up and flew past her like a coward when she was challenged to danmaku duel. One murder was more than enough for the day. Or life, for that matter.

Marisa reached her home and took a short bath, changing into clean clothes after that. She considered burning the old ones or burying them but decided against it. Her wardrobe didn't allow such luxury.

She took off and reached the Hakurei shrine, and despite being tired from all the running around offered Reisen to go back to Eientei for the night, as she would take care of Reimu herself. The rabbit youkai agreed without questioning.

The evening was quiet, Reimu was relatively peacefully asleep and Marisa also started to doze off. It will all sort out somehow. She will have to tell Reimu soon about what happened in hell, and it will definitely upset the poor girl immensely, but it was okay. It was a black stripe of life, but it is always the darkest before the dawn. Soon everything will…

"Marisa, they are here," Reimu hissed, and Marisa jolted up. Reimu was glaring at her, and miko's face was twisted with hate. "They have come to burn the shrine down, just as I knew they would. Just as I told you they would."

"What?" Marisa helplessly asked, and now saw a red glow coming from afar, accompanied by disjointed shouts. It looked like a festival procession was coming for the shrine, only the shouts were angry instead of jolly this time. Marisa jumped up in panic, and Reimu kept glaring at her.

"They will pin me to the ground with their pitchforks and light the building with their torches. They will laugh at my demise, and they will prevail. They are here."

"They?" Marisa whispered.

"The _people_," Reimu said, and laughed chokingly and pathetically, too weak to move. Marisa ran outside.

The voices drew closer, and first people stepped on the shrine courtyard. They were all in dirty peasant clothing, torches, pitchforks, clubs, sickles in their hands, oni masks on their faces. They growled and moved in unison, like a dark tide of flesh.

"Stop!" Marisa shouted, and drew her spell furnace. "I won't let you hurt Reimu or damage the shrine! I swear I will shoot to kill!"

The mob stopped, but because of the masks Marisa couldn't discern whether or not they were really afraid. She now saw there were not that many of them, only twenty or so.

Then from behind the men their leader stepped forward, a woman in white, frog clips in her green hair. Kochiya Sanae, the priestess of the Moriya shrine.

"Do not be afraid!" she shouted, her voice full of pathos and exaltation. She then pointed at the witch with her symbol of power, a stick with a white rectangular cloth on its end, and a gust of wind blew off Marisa's hat. "She threatens us with death, for she knows that the time of her divine punishment has come! Thief! Murderer! Unclean!"

Marisa faltered and nearly choked. How could Sanae know so quickly? This was impossible!

"I-I didn't murder—"

"Lies! Utsuho Reiuji was a lone and helpless cripple, and you murdered her in cold blood! The evidence is damning!"

The mob growled like a single beast. Marisa stumbled back in fear. "N-no, it's not true! It was an accident…"

"Lies!" Sanae shouted, clearly enjoying it. "Satori Komeiji testified that you harbored the murder in your black heart long before you did the mentioned heinous act! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a limb for a limb and a life for a life! Such is the judgment of Gensokyo! Now kneel, villain, and accept your fate!"

Marisa took another step back, nearly tripping over the donation box. No, it was just impossible. It was a dream. She dozed off and is going to wake up any moment now.

She didn't wake up. It was real. All of this was very, very real. The mob slowly moved forward, their eyes gleaming from behind the masks like eyes of the real demons. Marisa was paralyzed, desperately trying to find something, anything to say…

"But… hell ravens resurrect, right? They do, right? Right?"

"Execute her," Sanae uttered, and brought her hand down.

The people charged forward and Marisa ran, leaping over the donation box and slipping through the shrine doors just in time to save herself. She slid a wooden beam onto hinges right before the mob rammed into the doors, rattling them.

Marisa ran back to Reimu's room. "Reimu, we need to run, Sanae has gone crazy! They are going to kill us both, please…"

"Is it true?" Reimu asked, staring at the ceiling. "I heard… everything that she said. Is it true?"

"No! Yes, I… No! I didn't mean to! I wanted to at first, but it was an accident, I swear… please…"

Marisa thought she wouldn't cry anymore, but she was wrong. These were tears of frustration, tears of pain, tears of everything that has gone wrong. She sobbed, and mumbled, and Reimu kept lying down, staring at the ceiling and breathing shallowly. The pounding intensified, and spell cards were now being used. The beam cracked.

"How could you…" Reimu whispered. "I thought you were my friend, Marisa… how could you do this… go away… just go away…"

Marisa reached forward, but stopped. Sanae is not crazy, and these people won't kill Reimu or burn down the shrine. They were after her, Marisa Kirisame, a lynch mob just for her but it was okay. She would escape, and she would return later and explain everything, calmly and logically. And Reimu will understand. Reimu will forgive.

She wiped her tears and ran towards the shrine back exit. The beam still held, and Marisa knew she would make it. Fly high, make her way to Eientei. No one would dare to touch her there.

She ran to the backyard and froze.

In the middle of it was lazily floating Kanako Yasaka. The goddess of wind was in her full attire, complete with the rope ring behind her. She looked bored.

"Kirisame Marisa," Kanako said, pronouncing the full name slowly, as if savoring the taste. "Going somewhere?"

Marisa felt like a mountain was just literally put on her shoulders. Her legs buckled, and she fell on her knees.

"Kanako, you bitch…"

"Kanako-sama," the goddess evenly corrected her, and Marisa fell on her stomach, something invisible crushing her like a steel plate.

"You…" Marisa said with great difficulty. "It was your plan all along, right from the start, wasn't it? To set up Reimu against such an opponent, so even if she wins she would be poisoned by the sun…"

"Do I look like a cheap second-rate villain to you? Do you think I would willingly confess of such a crime in front of everyone who might hear? This is insulting."

The invisible force became even stronger, squishing Marisa into the stone floor. It became extremely difficult for her to breathe. She still could move, and pointed her octagonal spell furnace at Kanako.

"Reimu… could beat you…" she wheezed. "And so can I… my love for her… gives me power… you can't even possibly imagine…"

Kanako raised an eyebrow. The device in Marisa's hand crumpled like it was made from tinfoil, along with her fingers. Marisa didn't even have enough air in her lungs to scream.

"Love? Love is nothing compared to the true power of faith."

Kanako paused, and picked up a twig from the rope ring behind her. "Perhaps I overestimated your potential threat to the golden future of my Gensokyo. But then again, cancer starts from a single cell. It's so much easier to prevent than to cure."

She snapped the twig. Marisa's spine cracked, and her ribcage caved in with a wet and sickening crunch.

She didn't die right away, wheezing and coughing out blood. Kanako slowly rose up and flew away from the shrine. Her crushing presence lifted, but Marisa couldn't move. She couldn't feel anything down from her neck.

The beam cracked and gave out, people flooding the shrine. They found the agonizing witch soon enough and carefully surrounded her.

"Dude, look at her arm, what the fuck…" one of the masked men quietly said to another. Marisa managed a pained smile. It all just felt unbelievably stupid, to go all this way, to do so much for what? For this?

Sanae appeared in her view. Her expression was firm, but Marisa noticed that she was not as confident as before. In fact, she looked a little bit scared even. Scared and unsure of herself.

It was so unfair. Here she was, the only being in Gensokyo who was capable of granting miracles, the only being in Gensokyo who could save Reimu, right here, right in front of her. And this girl was a faithful servant to the bloodthirsty god who wanted Reimu and Marisa out of the way to advance her own grandiose, and yet so petty schemes.

Was this what is called "tragic irony"?

Sanae controlled herself. She made a wide gesture and pointed at Marisa with her holy symbol.

"Behold, good people of Gensokyo, behold the holy justice that our merciful goddess dispenses. Behold as the murderer slowly dies, choking helplessly on her own blood…"

"Sanae-san, no offence but we didn't sign up for this. Execution is one thing, but this is just meaningless torture."

The voice came from somewhere behind Marisa and Sanae looked at the one who spoke. She quickly nodded and just as quickly turned away.

Strange, but the last thought that flashed through Marisa's mind was not about Reimu, but about how upset Patchouli will be when she finds out that she is not getting any of her books back.

Then a villager behind her rammed a rusty and curved pitchfork into the base of her skull.

**[…****]**

Reimu found herself standing on the shore of the great wide river. Behind her was a quiet flowery meadow on which half-transparent people slowly shuffled around.

"Oh great," she muttered. "I'm dead."

She examined herself and found out she was still wearing her usual miko outfit. It was also half-transparent, just as her flesh was. Reimu played around for a bit, discovering new and exciting things about her new body every minute. For example, she could see through her palm, and couldn't remove the clothes, as they were now an integral part of her.

She considered going to talk to some of the spirits, but eventually decided against it. There will be plenty time for that later and for now she wanted a little peace and quiet without pain, bitter medication and constantly worrying Marisa.

There was a gap in her memory probably a size of a week. She vaguely remembered her last days to be hectic, some people she didn't know moving around the shrine. For some reason, in her last few days it was Sanae who took care of her, not Marisa. Reimu couldn't blame her friend, though. After all, she deserved some peace just as Reimu did.

She walked by the shore, picking up flat stones and trying to cause them to skip on the water. They didn't, and the water felt strange too, sucking, oily and very unpleasant to the touch.

She saw a dot on the water surface. It looked like the dot grew larger, so Reimu decided to wait and see.

As it approached, the dot slowly took shape of a small boat, and it definitely moved towards Reimu. She straightened her clothes and practiced her smile.

Well, this wasn't very odd. The shinigami who carried spirits across the river had the reputation of being lazy, but Reimu was a bit of a special case. No wonder they've sent for her so early. At least she wouldn't have to talk to all those morose spirits in the field now.

The boat glided closer and the oarswoman waved to Reimu. She waved back.

"So, the infamous Reimu Hakurei has finally arrived," the girl in the boat spoke. Her hair was outrageously red, just as her eyes were. Her belt was likewise outrageously wide, contrasting with a comparatively simple dress. She dropped the oars and put up a scythe on her shoulder, looking confident and imposing.

"And you are?"

"Komachi Onozuka, the one and only shinigami of Gensokyo, at your service," the girl said with a slight bow. "We met before, but only briefly."

"Right," Reimu said, and nodded to the boat. "So, let's go to the other side?"

Komachi winced slightly. "You wouldn't believe how many people make this pun. Anyway, there is a procedure to follow. First, you pay me with special money that signifies people that will mourn for you in the land of the living, then I set the river width, and only then we take off on our journey, definitely not singing anything about rowing the boat down the stream."

"Sounds needlessly complicated," Reimu said with a smile and stuck a hand in her pocket. She scooped out a handful of coins, different sizes and colors. They were all branded in yen, but on their head sides they had smiling faces of her friends instead of the standard emperor profile.

"Oh hey, Yukari looks cute here," she said, and started to examine the coins. Strange, but she couldn't see Marisa anywhere.

"Just hand them over, I'm on a schedule here," Komachi impatiently said and tapped her foot. Reimu sighed and gave the coins away. She searched her pockets some more, but there was nothing else there.

"You know, I expected more, and the largest coin to be with Marisa, not Yukari," she absently said.

"Close friends only, or spirits would be weighted with so much metal the boat would sink. Also, the system is not perfect and is prone to errors. Okay, setting width…"

She pocketed the money, but Reimu couldn't see any change in the river. "Uh, shouldn't we be able to see the other shore now?"

"No, for you it's supposed to be like this," Komachi said, and Reimu found something very unnerving in how she said it.

"Ok, hop in, I don't have all day," the shinigami continued, and Reimu complied, taking her seat at the back of the small, rocky boat. They took off in silence, and Reimu grew bored rather quickly. Komachi looked very serious while rowing, the oars going back and forth, back and forth…

"_Row, row, row your boat_…"

"Stop it."

Reimu sighed. This all was taking too long and didn't make any sense. She decided to start a more constructive dialogue.

"So, I heard you don't like your job that much," she said after a pause, having decided that she should take an opportunity to know Komachi a little more while she had the chance.

"Some parts of it, yes. It pays well though," Komachi said with a grin and tapped her purse. It produced a merry jingle.

"So, what aspects would you like to improve? I can ask your boss, I'm sure she will listen…"

"I don't know, really. A substitute shinigami maybe, so I can party on holidays instead of getting a spike in workload thanks to all the stupid drunks."

"Sure, I'll ask for that." Reimu said with a smile, but Komachi looked a bit sad for some reason.

They moved in silence for a while, and the shore behind them disappeared in fog. The river looked absolutely the same in every direction and the surface looked murky, so Reimu couldn't see what was going on in the depths.

She wondered what will await her next. Probably some more obsolete procedures, a lecture from the judge of the dead and then… reincarnation right away or a vacation in heaven first? She hoped for the latter, this way she would see Marisa pretty soon.

Well, there was also a possibility of being sent to Hakugyokurou, but Reimu dismissed that. Why go through all this suffering, then? She could just ask Yuyuko to pull her there at any time. In any case, the spirit world was not the place she would prefer spending her afterlife in, way too boring.

And hell? Out of the question. There was no possible way she would be found evil or guilty of some crime. So most probably heaven it is, for ten or twenty years, and then the cycle begins anew. The wheel of fate keeps turning and turning…

"And we're all set, in a nice quiet place where no one can hear you scream," Komachi suddenly said and stopped rowing. She put the oars up on the sides of the boat to dry.

"Um, excuse me?"

"I'm going to push you off in the water and leave you here to be devoured by soulless ancient monsters that dwell in the untold depths of the river," Komachi said with an absolutely serious face.

"Riiight," Reimu said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you tell this story to every single spirit that you transport, just to see their faces."

"No, I only tell it to those who I am really going to push," Komachi said, and her face became grim. "And I also always tell them why, because before their final death people deserve at least that."

Reimu still didn't take it seriously. "Well, enlighten me then, because this all looks very stupid to me," she said with a shrug.

"Of course. All this…" Komachi said, and made a wide gesture around her "… it is not just for show. It has a purpose, and I'll say without any exaggeration that this is the darkest secret of all Gensokyo."

"Ooh, a dark secret, spooky," Reimu interjected with a smile. Komachi winced.

"The truth is, a lot of people die, and not every one of them deserves heaven or hell or reincarnation or anything. Some of them just need to be erased, to make place for the new ones."

Reimu stopped smiling. She now distantly remembered that there is some small possibility for the spirit to not make it to the afterlife, but no one talked about it openly.

"And some people, some very powerful, very deserving of afterlife people need to be erased on purpose, taken out of the picture so to speak. An ultimate political assassination, if you are willing to call it that. And this is your case, Reimu Hakurei."

Reimu clenched her fists. "Kanako Yasaka…"

"Oh, you are smarter than you look," Komachi said, clearly surprised. "Unfortunately, you didn't go out in the blaze of glory as expected when the subterranean sun was born, but her plan worked anyway because it had a hidden layer to it. Kanako is a very educated, practical and methodical monster, you know."

"Then why so ridiculously contrived and needlessly complicated?" Reimu protested, throwing her arms up. "I'm not exactly the hardest person to assassinate. A few villagers with crossbows would do the trick."

Komachi scratched her head. "Beats me. Maybe the transfer of power from a shrine to shrine is a complex ritual that requires a sadistic conspiracy plot to work. Maybe Kanako is just bored and has nothing else to do except to get herself amused or aroused by torturing you. Maybe both, but we will never know for sure."

She paused, stood up, and picked up her scythe. "Well, that's about it. There are more minor details, on how she got me, Aya and Satori to work for her, or what deal she made with Yukari for her to allow all this, and why the spell card system malfunctioned, but they are not important. The power transfer is complete, Gensokyo is safe, Hakurei border is now Moriya border, the spell cards function again, so basically we are done here. Any last words?"

Reimu stood up and chuckled. "Heh. A villain divulges all the secrets, stands back and gloats. Isn't it the perfect time for the gap to open above your head and for Marisa to sweep in, blasting you into the water and saving my soul?"

Komachi scratched her head. "Hmm… you know, just before I erased Marisa last week, she said nearly exactly the same thing, only it was you who was her savior. A bit sad, really."

"NO!" Reimu shouted and stepped forward, grabbing Komachi by the collar. The boat rocked dangerously, but the shinigami didn't flinch. "You lie! I don't know who could think of such a twisted joke but I swear, that person is going to pay, you hear? You hear…"

She cried, ghostly tears falling down her cheeks. There was no coin with Marisa's smiling face on it. She didn't stay with her for the last few days. And the last time they saw each other…

"No! Marisa, I'm sorry! I forgive you! I'll forgive you no matter what you do! I'll—"

Komachi effortlessly pulled Reimu's hands away. "You know what? I'll tell you the truth, the final truth. Forgiveness, hope, faith, love, all of it doesn't matter in the end. Spirits are judged for their actions in life, not words or emotions."

She just as effortlessly threw Reimu back, and jabbed her in the chest with the handle of her scythe, a practiced and sharp movement honed by thousands, tens of thousands of repetitions. Reimu toppled back and fell in the water with a dull, muted splash. Komachi sat back and rowed around Reimu, who was desperately trying to stay on the surface of the water that pulled her down.

Komachi leaned to the side of her boat, leveling her gaze with the drowning girl. "And in your case, nothing matters at all. You were born, you lived, you died. Then the monsters devoured your soul and lived happily ever after. The End."

She rowed away and soon disappeared in the distance. Reimu cried for help, she shouted, she begged, but there was no one around, just endless absolutely still waster in every direction.

She clumsily tried to swim, slowly moving she didn't know where. The water weighed her down, pulled at her endlessly, and still she tried to swim, ten, twenty paces…

Something latched into her arm, a long pale worm with fins. She slapped it away, but more and more came, gnawing onto her clothes and ghostly flesh. It didn't hurt, but she felt weaker and weaker with every bite, every small piece torn off her.

Then the worms dispersed and a large amorphous jellyfish slammed into her body from the side, digging into her stomach and sucking away her insides with thin, wriggling threads of flesh. She punched at it a few times, each hit weaker than the previous, and the thing detached, disappearing in the distance.

A flat segmented tentacle from below coiled around Reimu and pulled her under, ending her suffering.

**[]**


	5. Extra Chapter: Unsigned letters

**A/N: **The story is over, but some reviewers asked for proper crystal-clear explanation of what happened behind the scenes… so here it is, improper and murky. Don't expect it to be in any way entertaining, unless you have a strange fetish for logs of ICQ conversations and beginner-level chess matches.

**Extra ****Chapter: Unsigned letters**

**...]**

Satori Komeiji.

I know you are surprised by the fact that a gap just opened on the floor next to wherever you might have been at the moment and this book just popped out from it. It is not an attack, it is not a joke and it is not an advertisement trick to sell you something obscure. It is a safe and secure way I'd like to communicate with you.

Please, write anything you like on the next page, put the book on the floor and press the opal gem embedded in the cover. The book will be sent back to me immediately.

**[...**

_Y__ukari, no one finds your pranks funny. Leave me alone._

**...]**

I am glad you decided to answer. As I said before, this is not a prank, and I am not Yukari. She did lend me this book because I asked for it, but I am not her.

I'll be blunt and get to the point. I want Gensokyo changed, and I want this change to occur now, not in a hundred or a thousand years. I want it to prosper, I want to see its residents happy and productive. I want things to change for the better.

But I can not do this alone. There will always be naysayers, and those who cling to old ways. There are too many of them, so I need allies. Someone I can trust. Can I count on you in this matter?

**[...**

_This is all way too vague. Change, trust, allies… empty__ words, be more specific. And who are you anyway? I can't trust someone who doesn't even give me her name._

**...]**

This was not entirely true, Satori. You can't trust anyone whose mind you can't read. What would my name give you? You can just call me "unknown benefactor to the cause of Gensokyo". You'll find out my identity eventually anyway, and for now I wouldn't like your judgment of me to be clouded by narrow-minded assumptions based on my name.

**[...**

_Name, or I'll throw the book into the Hell of Blazing Fires next time it pops out. I'm serious._

**...]**

I have no choice but to reveal myself to you, then. My name is Cirno, and I'm the strongest and smartest being in all Gensokyo.

**[...**

_Very funny._

**...]**

Was that sarcasm? I can't tell, but I can tell you didn't throw the book away. I sure hope we can continue our long-distance relationship.

I wouldn't like to make unreasonable demands of you. If you don't like all this, we can stop right now. But I have a proposition to make. Why don't we play a little game of chess? I know you can't play chess with the others because you can read their minds… but this is a perfect opportunity. So, what do you say?

**[...**

_I say I don't know anything about chess. And how are we supposed to play it with the book?_

**...]**

Well, it's a great opportunity for you to learn, then! You can take any time you want between moves, you record your moves in standard format, you send them to me, and I'll do the same. Let's start.

1. e2-e4

**[...**

_Sorry for the long delay. Had to find a book about chess, and it is not the simplest task for when you live in hell. Anyway, I've got some ideas, so…_

_1. d7-d5 _

**...]**

So, you sacrifice your pawn hoping to get some advantage later. Well, I'll be frank with you – you have no chance against me in chess. But I'll try to make it fair by playing without thinking ahead. So, I'll pretend to fall into your trap:

2. e4xd5

**[...**

_This is going to take a while, isn't it? I've been having second thoughts about this whole matter. After all, you still didn't give me your name and it is only a matter of time before you are going to make your first__ unreasonable demand. I am not able to read your thoughts, but I can tell by the tone of your "voice" so to speak._

_2__. Qd8xd5 _

**...]**

Isn't this how relationships work? You give something, you get something in return. A favor for a favor, a joke for a joke, a kiss for a kiss… Satori, will you kill someone for me?

3. Nb1-c3

**[...**

_Will you turn hell into a lush beautiful landscape for me? Will you make people accept me for who I am? Will you make me the most powerful, wealthy and beautiful being in all Gensokyo?_

_3. __Qd5-e5 check_

**...]**

You don't really want any of this, and I don't need a third eye to see that. But will you do it anyway? Wouldn't you like to try something new? Killing a person is an experience you are never going to forget, that I assure you.

And you will have perfect justification for that. After all, a book that fell through the gap told you to. You can always blame it on the book. Always.

4. Bf1-e2

**[...**

_Sure. Let's play pretend. So, who is this unfortunate person? A denizen of hell? A villager in Gensokyo? Or is it myself, oh wise and insightful book? Am I supposed to kill myself?_

_4. e7-e6 _

**...]**

It's Reimu Hakurei.

5. Ng1-f3

**[...**

_Very funny.__ And stop chasing my queen, it is annoying._

_5__. Qe5-f6 _

**...]**

I see you still don't take me or my propositions seriously. Well, and you shouldn't be after all, it's just a murder of one absolutely irrelevant female human we are talking about. Just a name to erase. Just one spirit to get rid of.

Is that such a great price to pay for the future glory and golden age of Gensokyo?

6. d2-d4

**[...**

_Look, Yukari, I know it's fun for you but stop provoking me. __ Gensokyo is Gensokyo, it has always been like this and is never going to change, for the better or worse. And the idea of killing Reimu is just plain stupid, even for a joke. _

_6. __ Bf8-b4 _

**...]**

I told you before that I am not Yukari. But I can understand your doubts, and you are now repeating nearly word for word what Yukari told me when I first made this proposition to her. Only there were also spell cards involved, and we shouted in between the blasts.

Look at this logically. Gensokyo is in stagnation. Technology, science, art, health care – everything is still somewhere there in the Earth's middle ages or renaissance. Life expectancy for an average peasant is around fifty years. The wilderness is untamed and there are still lethal accidents involving youkai.

Satori, you can't imagine how far the human world has progressed over the last two centuries. And here the progress is held back by stupid beliefs and rituals of the times long gone. A change must be made, a drastic change, and I am the leader that is capable of that. I am the leader that is capable of uniting Gensokyo and bringing it on par with the human world in three generations. And the dream of reaching lunarian level then becomes a quite real goal and possibility.

7. Bc1-g5

**[...**

_You can't possibly make me believe that Yukari is willing to murder her friend __over the promise of a technology advancement._

_7. __Bb4xc3 _

**...]**

Technology, no. Art, yes. As humanity progresses, more and more of the menial tasks of everyday life are simplified and automated. Without that much grueling, thankless work people become free to do whatever they want, and they use this free energy to create art. Paintings, literature, architecture… Yukari is willing to take the gamble. This is why she gave me this book as a symbol of trust.

And she got tired of all the uncertainty as of late. There have been way too many close calls that could have led to catastrophic devastations in the recent years. She wants stability and safety for Gensokyo and I am willing and able to provide her that when I get in charge.

8. b2xc3

**[...**

_Can't she just ask Reimu to step down and give you the leadership over Gensokyo? I'm sure Reimu would not protest much, she's done her share of heroics already._

_8. Qf6-f5 _

**...]**

Reimu's life is connected to her shrine and the Hakurei border. To truly make Gensokyo mine, to truly have the power to change the hearts and minds of people the power of the border must be transferred elsewhere. Reimu will not survive that, but Yukari is not willing to kill her with her own hands. That's why she puts this responsibility on me. And that's why I spread this responsibility around my allies.

No one wants to be guilty of murder, to stab someone with the knife. But if you ask your friend to make the blade, another one to make the handle, and your third friend builds an automatic stabbing apparatus… it becomes easier, it really does. That's why I need you, Satori.

9. Be2-d3

**[...**

_Ah, I know now who you are. A transfer of power from shrine to shrine… I should have guessed sooner. __But on the off chance Yukari reads this… I'm just kidding right now, write silly words in a book. I don't want Reimu to die._

_So, what do you want me to do?_

_9. Qf5-d5 _

**...]**

Sorry for the long delay, I had some preparations to make.

What I need from you is someone among your subordinates who is capable of holding for a reasonable amount of time the power that would be enough to kill Reimu in a personal combat. Someone powerful, ambitious and stupid enough to be willing to swallow the sun and allow her body to become the embodiment of nuclear fusion. And it has to be someone expendable, someone you don't care about in the slightest.

It is going to work like this. I am going to pretend I'm bringing electricity to Gensokyo, and give this power to that expendable pawn. She is going to lose control and start burning everything around her, Reimu is going to challenge her in the duel and die heroically. There will be a short time window between Reimu's death and border collapse, and in this moment I'm going to use the power of the sun to complete a shrine energy transfer ritual.

Dangerous? Yes, but there are failsafe measures present, and I am not an idiot. I don't want to rule the blasted apocalyptic wasteland.

Also, castling.

10. 0-0

**[...**

_Would Utsuho Reiuji do? She is evolving as of late, and I fear that soon I will be able to read her thoughts. She was my favorite hell raven once, but you know how it goes… feelings are not forever, especially__ friendship and sympathy._

_I also have something to ask for in return. It's my sister, Koishi. She wants to explore the world and needs someone to look after her so she doesn't get into trouble. Can you ask Sanae to give her a tour around Gensokyo? _

_10. __ Qd5-c6 _

**...]**

Of course. The operation is going to commence soon, please contact me immediately after it is complete.

11. Ra1-b1

**[...**

_Nothing happened yet, just wanted to__ make a move and check on how Koishi is doing._

_11. Qc6xc3 _

**...]**

Please, have some patience. Rome was not built in a week. And Koishi… I think she likes Suwako's subconsciousness. I might be wrong.

12. Rb1-b3

**[...**

_Writing with my left hand, because my right one is in a cast.__ Damn you and your stupid ideas._

_Had a danmaku fight with Reimu. I expected her to move around and use gaps, and expected to use Yukari's spell cards against her… but she went in with Suika instead. My arm hurts, and I think that's not just a bruise._

_Your plan has failed spectacularly. Reimu won, just like that. Beat Utsuho up in the end with her bare fists. I think she got her in the chest eye… I feel sorry for her. I read Utsuho's mind after the fight… so much rage. I can't stand her presence anymore._

_I think our relationship ends here, but I'll make one last move since you threaten my Queen._

_12. __Qc3-a5 _

**...]**

I'm glad you are taking it so well, someone more emotional would just destroy the book on the spot.

Yes, it was a failure, but my plan is still in effect. And don't worry, you wouldn't have to actively participate, at least for now. Your sister is also well, despite her also getting into the fight with Reimu. I think our miko has successfully connected the dots and blamed me, but she still didn't find out the whole truth. Our secret is safe.

Utsuho has to be disposed of, quietly. She knows too much.

13. Qd1-b1

**[...**

_Utsuho is stupid and not a threat.__ She babbles a lot and became something of a local celebrity freak, but no one takes her seriously. And what do you mean "disposed of?" Do I have to lure her in the palace and poison her? I might be a bitter and lonely person, but I am not an insane maniac or a cold-blooded contract killer. She suffers enough as it is. I think she got sick after all that nuclear fusion business._

_13. __f7-f6 _

**...]**

It's called "radiation sickness", but it would be more correct to call it poisoning. She has now billions of tiny invisible holes in her, just like Reimu does. Eirin treats her, and I don't know the extent of the damage, but it looks like she won't make it after all.

14. Rb3xb7

**[...**

_So, can I congratulate you already? How is my sister by the way?_

_14. __Bc8xb7 _

**...]**

Sorry for the long delay. The move to make was obvious, but other business distracted me.

Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out again. Reimu recovered, and we'll have to start anew. It's okay, I can be patient when I have to.

Your sister… she left the shrine, roams the land, talks to people. I can send Aya to check on her if you like.

15. Qb1xb7

**[...**

_No, it's fine, I'm sure she can take care of herself. I was surprised to hear that Aya is working for you now though, I thought she was all about freedom of speech and all that nonsense._

_15. Qa5-d5 _

**...]**

Everything has its price. Sometimes it is money, sometimes it is something else. I give her a sizeable sum every month, and she selectively does not take interviews from Utsuho. I'll put more pressure on her later if I have to. She is not the hardest person to coerce if needed.

16. Qb7-c8 check

**[...**

_Everything has its price, eh? Then what about me? What__ was my price? I sure am not doing this for a chance to play chess or for you to entertain my sister. You bought me too, didn't you? So tell me, would I be easy to coerce if things turn ugly? Will I be easy to be disposed of?_

_16. __Ke8-e7 _

**...]**

It is funny how a youkai that can read the minds of others perfectly can't figure out what her own feelings are.

Satori, you are lonely and I am sure you wait for every my next message with great anticipation and excitement. It's an only chance for you to speak to someone openly, and still you restrain yourself every time you do so.

I know you are having second thoughts all the time, about what you did or what you might still have to do. You beat yourself over Utsuho's fate and feel guilty about not burning the book right after you opened it for the very first time.

But I am not a monster, Satori, and neither are you. I prefer to do everything civil, but sometimes sacrifices just have to be made. I would prefer so much better if you worked for me willingly, like Komachi does.

17. Rf1-e1

**[...**

_Wh__at do you need the shinigami for? Isn't she something that cannot be controlled in any way, a force of nature so to speak?_

_17. Nb8-d7 _

**...]**

Ah, a common misconception about death. No, she is not a force of nature, she is just a youkai like you. She is lazy, and she is bored, and she has a harsh mistress.

And she destroys spirits of the dead just for kicks. When they don't give her enough money. When they sing silly songs while being transported or when they annoy her in any other way. To destroy something forever, even if it is ugly, annoying or stupid is a truly evil act, and she enjoys it. I didn't tell you this, but she really enjoys it, their screams, their helpless flopping on the surface.

All I had to do was just ask her. I didn't even have to pay or coerce, or offer anything. I just asked, and she agreed. It just means for her that she can hear the screams some more. I don't know, maybe she collects them and wanted Reimu's screams too.

18. Qc8xc7

**[...**

_Isn't it excessive? __Spirits of the dead rarely become a lasting threat or a powerful force, Yuyuko notwithstanding. _

_18. __ f6xg5 _

**...]**

Excessive? Hardly. She has a very powerful soul, and is capable of challenging me openly. To show mercy in such a case would be naïve and stupid, and I am neither of that. I am starting to build something, and I can't risk spending hundreds of years of my time and energy on a beautiful building for it to be destroyed in a single day by some insane spirit with a box of explosives and a personal grudge in her heart.

19. Bd3-e4

**[...**

… _I see._

_In other news, Koishi returned from her trip and it looks like it did her good. She is considering staying for a while and then going away again. Thanks for taking care of her._

_19. __ Ra8-f8 _

**...]**

Don't mention it, it was nothing.

20. Be4xd5

**[...**

_20. Rf8-f6_

**...]**

21. Nf3xg5

**[...**

_Exchanging moves like that just feels hollow. __I have nothing to report, just wanted to break the silence. How is your plan? It's been a few months, so…_

_21. __ Rf6-g6 _

**...]**

Working on it. Satori, do you know what a python is? It's a snake that is not poisonous, but strangles its victims instead.

These snakes are large, slow and can't chase prey. But they have something other species don't have – patience. They can sit in one place for hours, days, weeks… Leaves cover them, they get hungry, and still they wait, absolutely still.

And then, when an unsuspecting prey comes near they attack, without warning and lightning-fast. One untraceable movement, one perfect kill. All that waiting pays off, it always does.

Reimu is ill. It looks nothing serious, but I suspect it is a direct result of her irradiation last autumn. I am not getting my hopes up, because to hope is stupid. I plan and make arrangements. Marisa bothers me as of late.

Our game enters its final phase. It's time to exchange figures, and see who has a better position for the endgame.

22. Re1xe6

**[...**

_Marisa? What about her? I read about her a few times in Bunbunmaru, but she looks like no one important. She steals things, and gets into spell card fights sometimes…__ even wins some of them, but how is she different from Alice for example? Other than being friends with Reimu I don't see anything special about her._

_22 __Rg6xe6 _

**...]**

Alice? Hardly. Marisa is a wildcard, she is a free spirit. And most of all she is human. You see, youkai are nothing like humans. They are the creatures of the land, they embody fixed concepts, they are predictable. Even Yukari is, in all her false randomness of action and thought.

Humans are not. They burn from within, they can overcome impossible odds, they are capable of miracles. I am a god, and I can't create anything that is not in my portfolio. Wind, air pressure, sky… and that's it. Sanae can channel my power to do absolutely anything. Marisa can use her meager resources to do absolutely anything, and she is not tied with obligations like Sakuya or Youmu are. She is free, and she is a threat.

She will have to be removed.

23. Bd5xe6

**[...**

_And who else will have to be removed? How many more will have to be sacrificed on your bloody altars? You throw your figures to me, like you don't care in the slightest__ for their fate._

_23. Ng8-f6 _

**...]**

"Bloody altars"? How theatrical. I may be a snake, but I am not Quetzalcoatl, and even to him human sacrifices were rare. In this day and age demanding human blood and life is percieved as bad form among the gods.

And of course I don't care. The ends justify the means, especially in chess. It doesn't matter how many of my figures survive in the end as long as I am able to write "checkmate".

How many will be sacrificed? Not that many. You see, the theory "all life is sacred" works only when you deal with small numbers of said life. Five, ten people, maybe fifty. How do you punish a serial killer who killed a hundred people in his life? Can you kill him a hundred times?

And it all becomes really impossible to compare when we start to think in terms of thousands, tens of thousands and millions. Is it acceptable to kill ten thousand so a million would survive? Is it acceptable kill a hundred, so each and every one in the next thousand will live for twenty more years?

Is it acceptable to kill and permanently destroy the souls of Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame and maybe a hundred more so Gensokyo becomes like a modern human world? The ecology will suffer, youkai will have to be brought on a leash, the world overall will become plain and boring… but the people will live better and longer. Thousands, millions of them will be born, bringing into the world new art, technology, beauty.

Is it such a great price to pay?

24. Qc7xd7

**[...**

_If it works, yes. If it doesn't__, then no. And you'll have to pay this bloody price in advance._

_24. Nf6xd7 _

**...]**

Satori, I'm not stupid. I know what I'm doing, I have plans for the next two generations already laid out. A perfect theocratic state, everyone worshiping me from the earliest age. Each and every one will know his or her place in life. Each and every one will contribute to the unstoppable advance.

And I will have absolute power. Through me, Sanae will prevent natural disasters, floods and droughts. I won't allow for something like a Scarlet Devil mist accident to occur ever again. I will destroy everything that will plot to slower and halt our progress. For the greater good, and for the ultimate prosperity of Gensokyo.

And one day, I will expand my influence. I will indeed turn hell into a lush and beautiful landscape. I will teach people tolerance, and they will accept you and your sister for what you really are. You will work in a most privileged and effective mental hospital in Gensokyo, turning powers all your life you thought were disgusting for good.

And it is only a matter of time now. It is obvious Reimu is not going to recover.

25. Be6xd7

**[...**

_So, everything goes smoothly, then? I'd like to participate. Last exchange, and we are in the endgame. You have an advantage in pawns, I have a rook… But you probably have won already. Let's play till the end__ anyway._

_25. __Ke7xd7 _

**...]**

Smoothly? Far from it. I had to seriously and even physically push Aya to get her compliance. Eirin is trying to wake up Yukari, and Marisa is running around like a chicken without a head.

And on top of it all, I had to go for another, much more unstable and unreliable ritual for a shrine power transfer. There might be minor environmental effects, but more importantly the spell card system is going to malfunction, and it does already. Please refrain from picking unnecessary fights for a while.

Time to turn these pawns into queens.

26. c2-c4

**[...**

_As you said I had no chance from the start._

_26. Rh8-b8 _

**...]**

Did you really think I would fall for such an obvious trap? Really, even if I don't think ahead I can't possibly make such a beginner's mistake.

27. g2-g3

**[...**

_You can't blame me for trying._

_27. Rb8-b1_ _check_

**...]**

I guess I really can't.

Anyway, I have to ask something of you again. It looks like Eirin is starting to figure out my plan, and Marisa is close too. There is a possibility that one of both of them will enter hell and try to talk to Utsuho, and I let her disappear from my field of vision so to speak. Tell me what's with her.

Also, if Marisa tries to talk to you, use what you read in her mind to harm her. Then report what you find to me. Do not under any circumstance get into a spell card duel with her, the system is very unstable right now.

28. Kg1-g2

**[...**

_Utsuho annoys me. She comes around every week, begs and cries. I think begging has become natural for her, but I can't take her back. She is disgusting, both mentally and physically. Maybe I should've disposed of her earlier, she would surely suffer less this way._

_28. __ Kd7-c8 _

**...]**

Eirin attacked me today. I think she is taking it way more personally than she should have. She spewed profanities, threatened me and in the end I had no choice but to fight her. She also turned out to be a much more skilled opponent than I expected.

If she comes for you, run.

29. Ng5xh7

**[...**

_I'll keep that in mind. Dying for the cause is not something I would prefer to do just yet, or ever for that matter.__ Keep me updated._

_29. Rb1-e1 _

**...]**

I'm reinforcing the shrine right now, and expect a full-scale attack soon. Had some time to write on a break.

If you can contact your sister, keep her close. It is unlikely that you will be attacked, but if I were you I'd put her first as a buffer. You are a valuable ally and I wouldn't like to lose you because of a stupid accident.

30. f2-f4

**[...**

_Oh, how highly you think of me, I'm so flattered. This was sarcasm by the way, but it's too late for me to be offended at this point. I made my own conscious decision to follow you, and I will follow you till the very end. Especially after what I did this morning._

_Marisa came to the palace, and I read her thoughts. I did what you instructed me to and I think I succeeded, finding a right spot to stick a knife in, so to speak._

_She is afraid, she is confused, and she is really unstable__. Deep inside her heart, she truly loves Reimu, to the point she would sacrifice her own life for her. I can't even imagine in what this feeling will change when Reimu dies. _

_30. Re1-a1 _

_p.s. Just when I was about to send you the book, Aya arrived. She said Marisa has killed Utsuho, by accident or otherwise. I dug from Marisa's memories that she did want to kill her at first, but decided not to after talking to Reimu… it's complicated, really. Anyway, I signed a testimony that she intended a murder, and it is really… a quarter truth? I don't know._

_Also, about Aya. She is so deathly afraid of you I fear she might do something unreasonable. Please, take it to heart and treat her more kindly. And no, murdering her would not be the easiest or most logical solution, trust me on that._

**...]**

Thank you for your help, Satori. Thanks to you, Marisa will no longer bother you or anyone else any longer. Sanae did everything correctly, I had to help her a little but it was still her own success. She has really grown as a person and the priestess.

I'm going to take your advice on Aya. I don't really need followers that quiver in fear and fall on their knees at my approach. She would have to keep silent about lots of things of course, and I'll have to close her newspaper but I think I'll let her go. She is much better landscape photographer than a news reporter anyway.

31. g3-g4

**[...**

_Glad to be of help. Say, would you want followers in hell? I could easily arrange for the hell ravens to worship you, they don't really care._

_Also, look at me eating your pawns. Heh-heh, you really weren't paying attention to the game with your plans at all._

_31. __Ra1xa2 _

**...]**

Thank you for your offer, I'll think about it in a while. Reimu died yesterday, and the last week has been very intense.

Anyway, everything is over now. Moriya shrine supports the border, and with the spell cards stabilized I can start my first campaign on converting Gensokyo to my faith. Hell… I'll think of it as a side project. There are very specific difficulties there to overcome, and I don't want to put into my mouth more than I can chew at a time. Small, confident steps.

We will continue being in contact and playing chess. Your sister is free to visit at any time, and so are you.

32. Kg2-g3

**[...**

**Kanako, you sick fuck.**

**I found the book and read everything.**

**What the fuck is wrong with you? What golden future? Don't you get it, there are laws in Gensokyo, the laws that can't be changed no matter how hard you try. The laws that are part of the land.**

**Do you think you are the first one who tried to bring here technology and failed? Ask Keine if you want. You did this, all of this absolutely for nothing. You killed Reimu and Marisa for nothing.**

**Right now, I'm writing with my right hand. And with my left, I'm slowly choking Satori, and that's just a beginning. You know why? Because Yukari woke up yesterday and visited me. And she was fucking crying, that more than a millennia old girl. Because she overslept, and Reimu died.**

**Satori knows. She knows what I'm going to do to her, you, Aya, Komachi… **

**She just whispered something. A chess move. She still thinks this is some kind of a game. There, I killed her, snapped her fucking neck. She's dead. How does the victory feel to you now? Here, choke on her last words, you fuck.**

**32. **** Ra2-c2 **

**...]**

Eirin Yagokoro.

Sanae just created a miracle, and a chasm has appeared in Gensokyo. And the whole Eientei mansion has fallen into it, killing all the rabbits, rabbit fairies, Reisen, Tewi. Your dearest immortal princess Kaguya is now buried under around one and a half billion tons of loose rocks. How does the victory feel to you now?

No, wait, she didn't do any of that. But then again, neither did you.

You didn't kill Satori, because if you were capable of taking lives so easily you wouldn't even bother with Reimu and Marisa, and Yukari's tears would be nothing to you but drops of compound biological chemical solutions coming out from her tear ducts. So now please gently let Satori go and let's talk like civil people.

Also, if you think of using this book as evidence against me, know that I can destroy it at any time from anywhere and always use mindless fairies to do the writing for me.

33. c4-c5

**[...**

**Fine, I just let her go. Still, it is beyond sickening. You are supposed to be a role model, for fuck's sake! **

**I have no words. I really have no words. **

**Satori came back. She is in tears because she didn't have the chance to finish the game with you and begs me to give the book back. You two fucking freaks, you conspired to KILL people, and she is upset about the game.**

**You know what? I'll finish it for her. And I'm going to win, just to piss you off.**

**33. ****Rc2-d2 **

**...]**

I'm glad you are calming down, Eirin.

I know why you are upset. It's not because your patient died, and it's not because her friend died. It's because you are disappointed in Gensokyo as a whole.

I know what you expected. A world where everything is in peace, where conflicts are solved in a safe and flashy way, a world of happiness and prosperity. After the ravages of war you were at, a breath of fresh air, a chance to start everything from a clean slate…

But then you scratched the surface, and found out that Gensokyo is just like everywhere else. No electricity. Food is cooked on wood the villagers must forage for themselves. Agriculture is primitive. Diseases are treated with herbs and fat poultices. Many villagers don't know how to read or write, and the only history teacher turns into a rabid beast when the full moon is out.

But you are upset the most about Yukari, because she is a symbol of Gensokyo. And this symbol betrayed her close friend for the idea of the better future. She may cry, but she willingly allowed this. And this is why this book still works and jumps between hell and Moriya shrine. And this is why I am still alive.

34. h2-h3

**[...**

**This doesn't justify murder. Nothing justifies a murder.**** You didn't have to kill Reimu if you wanted to really help.**

**34. **** g7-g6 **

**...]**

Reimu was not a part of the problem, she was the problem in itself. Just look at the Imperishable Night incident. What would people of the Earth do if something like that happened?

They would study the phenomenon, scientists from all countries making theories, launching probes, doing research. Nations would unite, a single goal before them – to restore the Moon.

What people of Gensokyo did? Nothing. Then Reimu saved them. If she waited for at least a week longer, the crops would wither with catastrophic results. Famine and deaths of hundreds. People eating one another, eating their own children, eating grass…

35. g4-g5

**[...**

**Shut up.**

**35. a7-a6 **

**...]**

Eirin, you know I am right. And Gensokyo is like this not because of some hard-wired obscure laws. It is like this because the people never had a definite and strong leader. It worked well in the past, but the times have changed. It is time to move forward.

You my think I am a megalomaniacal and raving villain, but I am not. There is no one else who is willing and able of uniting Gensokyo. There is no one else who is ambitious, smart and practical enough to see it till the end. No one.

36. Kg3-g4

**[...**

**36. **** Rd2xd4 **

**...]**

37. Nh7-f6

**[...**

**37. **** Rd4-c4 **

**...]**

38. h3-h4

**[...**

**38. ****Rc4xc5 **

**...]**

You know, this way it's no fun at all. I thought you would protest more, call me names, swear revenge. Ready to give up?

39. Nf6-e4

**[...**

**Endgames are rarely fun. Everything has been said already. But I can assure you I will never forgive you for what you've done.**

**39. **** Rc5-c6 **

**...]**

I don't need your forgiveness. I need you to work with me, Eirin. When we open the first factory that produces penicillin and morphine on industrial scale. When we open the first factory that will produce aspirin and insulin. When we open the first factory that will produce cancer medications.

Women must stop giving birth at home, in bent brass bathtubs. Gensokyo needs doctors, nurses, specialized clinics. How many people in Gensokyo still have more than half of their teeth after the age of forty-five?

40. h4-h5

**[...**

**It's all for you to just get more faith and power for yourself. ****I don't believe in your altruism.**

**40. **** g6xh5 check**

**...]**

Yes, of course, more people, more healthy, happy people would give me more power. That's why we have to keep everyone miserable, ill and make them die young, right? Or even better at childbirth, both mothers and children.

And while we are at it, why not abolish the spell card system, make youkai kill humans right and left, eat them alive. Why not let Mystia lure travelers to their death with her song? Why not let Keine go on bloody rampages every full moon? Why not let Alice make dolls out of real human skin like she used to?

41. Kg4xh5

**[...**

**Alice never did that. **

**41. a6-a5 **

**...]**

And that is a whole extent of your retort? "Alice never did that"? By the way, this medium does not translate sarcasm well, so just to clear things up I was being sarcastic in my previous message. I don't want to abolish the spell card system or for the people to suffer. I don't want to kill every single youkai, or destroy afterlife, or ban magic or anything. I only want to create, and restrict something that is obsolete and hinders progress.

42. g5-g6

**[...**

**All ****of this to get more power.**

**42. Rc6-e6 **

**...]**

Of course. And take over the world. And stop people from dying at the age of fifty because of the lack of cholesterol screening.

43. Kh5-g5

**[...**

**Fine. You ****have won, Kanako, you really did. You killed Reimu, Marisa and you are going to get away with it.**

**I will work with you. I will help you do your projects. I will help you make life for the people of Gensokyo better, at least in the fields of my expertise.**

**But know this. The moment you slip, you are dead. If there is no improvement in Gensokyo, you are dead. If you let your ambition cloud your judgment for one single second, you are dead.**

**And if you touch Eientei, if you try to convert even a single rabbit… let's say I've been experimenting with viruses, and have some vials that I carry on my person. They are very hard, nearly impossible to break if you don't know how. But if they do break you will soon have no worshipers, at all. And then you will die.**

**And if you touch Kaguya, there is going to be a true apocalypse.**

**43. Re6xe4 **

**...]**

Fair enough. I think you know that this all symmetrically applies to you, as with my power growing Sanae will become capable of more and more, including opening the before mentioned chasm.

The concept of inevitable mutual destruction if something goes wrong has worked well for nations of Earth. It led to some very productive results.

44. g6-g7

**[...**

_Um… this is Satori again, but you can probably tell by looking at my writing. _

_Eirin left in a hurry. She scared me to death, I thought she was really going to kill me… but I'm fine, thanks to you._

_I am so afraid right now. Will I still be useful to you? You won't throw me away, right? I know hell can't give you too much faith, but please, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again. _

_44. __ Re4-e8 _

**...]**

This is pathetic. You get choked a little, and suddenly you become all little and vulnerable.

Get a hold of yourself. I will need your powers, and more than you might think. Interrogations, psychology, espionage… But only if I can trust you, Satori.

Every believer has doubts in his faith from time to time, it is only natural. That is why I am always here for you, to show you the right way. I'm not some obscure god who is unreachable in any way and doesn't even give his followers a clear proof of the existence of afterlife.

45. f4-f5

**[...**

_Thank you, Kanako-sama._

_45. __a5-a4 _

**...]**

46. f5-f6

**[...**

_Kanako-sama, you remembered! I knew you would remember me! All these years I hoped that you would remember…_

_I have so much to tell you. We are rebuilding the bridge to hell. It needed repairs for a long time, but we were finally able to gather the large enough workforce. The city is doing better too, we have now a proper shopping district opened, and we are thinking of launching a second school next year._

_Koishi tells me a lot about what's happening on the surface. Churches, hospitals, schools… all for the glory of Kanako-sama. I'm sorry I couldn't visit, business, business…_

_So, will you be moving to the hell project soon? I know it's hard for you, but please, just a little help. We only need a little push to get things done…_

_46 a4-a3 _

**...]**

Hmm, and I wondered if this old thing still worked. I guess Yukari really did forget about it.

I am very pleased to hear you did all this improvement in hell all by yourself. I knew I could count on you for that. Unfortunately, the extended project will have to be delayed a little. Just a little, do not panic.

I also have some good news. Soon, I will establish a communication network between Gensokyo and its spiritual extensions. We are going to aim for the netherworld first, but hell is next, right after heaven. Then we will be able to talk at our leisure.

But let's finish this game properly. It was a long time ago, but I'm still inclined to win. Ready to give up?

_047. Kg5-g6 _

**[...**

_Never, Kanako-sama.__ I shall fight till the very end._

_48.__ a3-a2 _

**...]**

48. f6-f7

**[...**

_48. __Re8-e6 check_

**...]**

49. Kg6-h7

**[...**

_Um… it really feels hollow again. Please, write me something. How is Sanae doing? I know she must be __really old by now for a human… did you give her immortality?_

_We repaired the bridge over the last year. It doesn't look pretty, but I think Parsee likes the new pavement design. Sadly, we had to postpone the launch of the new school for another year._

_49. Re6-h6 _

**...]**

**Satori, you poor clueless ancient girl.**

**It really feels weird to write to you from this side. When I picked this book up in the ruins of the shrine I felt nothing but disgust, and writing for the villain…**

**Kanako fucked us all. She brought in technology, mostly to boost up population growth. She gathered faith, mostly from children. And then she ran, taking Suwako with her, to find the new world to suck the power from. And the most disgusting thing is that we will probably have to maintain this illusion of faith, just to not let everything fall apart again. **

**This is the main problem with faith, Satori. The more educated people become, the more they know, the less they believe. The more they know, the less they hope. And this is why she abandoned us all, like a leech that have sucked enough blood.**

**Sanae is dead. She died peacefully in her sleep five days ago, and it would mean she lived to be one hundred and eight. Despite her god she remained a reasonably decent person until the end. I personally ensured that she got her afterlife. Heaven or hell, I don't know. Poke on the streets, maybe you'll meet her. **

**I'd like to finish this game, playing as a villain. I have no choice but to become the villain myself now, preserving the faith in a god that is no longer with us. In time, we will lessen the impact she made, and salvage at least the part of the old Gensokyo… but for now, it will have to remain this way. We are behind schedule on insulin production for the next month as it is.**

**Oh, and the Hakurei shrine has a new miko now. Yukari messed up during the reverse shrine power transfer, and the new guardian of Gensokyo is just an infant. I'm thinking of asking Yukari to name her Reimu. **

**50. Kh7xh6 **

**[...**

_But… all we worked for… all we believed in, it just can't end like this! You are lying, Eirin! She couldn't abandon us all! You'll see, I will rebuild hell myself! In the name of Kanako-sama, I shall prove it to you! To everyone!_

_And I am going to win this game! I may have been a black pawn, but I reached the first row, and now I shall become a queen!_

_50. a2-a1=Q_

**...]**

**Satori, you can't win. I have two passed pawns, you have a king and a queen left. And don't hold on to the evil faith, it is not worth it.**** Kanako never regarded you as a pawn. You were even less, no more than a speck of dust to her. She forgot about you the moment she turned away.**

**51. g7-g8=Q**** check**

**[...**

_This is not an evil faith! __Kanako-sama talked to me when no one else did! She took in my sister when no one else did! She promised me new future, and she promised me that I would get accepted! She can't just disappear like that!_

_51. Kc8-b7 _

**...]**

**Satori, she lied to you all this time. She lied to all of us, li****ed without blinking or taking a breath. All her words, all that she did, it was all a lie.**

**052. f7-f8=Q**

**[...**

_But it worked, didn't it? You built hospitals, didn't you? And with faith in my heart, I managed to do so much, I repaired the bridge, I started to rebuild the Ancient City…_

_52. __Qa1-h1 check_

**...]**

**Satori, you are just delaying the inevitable. Give up.**

**53. Kh6-g7 **

**[...**

_Are you telling this to your every patient, Eirin? The ones you could save, but decided not to because it would require way too much effort on your part?_

_53. __Qh1-g1 check_

**...]**

**I never did something like that, Satori. I know when the situation is hopeless. I always do.**

**54. Kg7-f7 **

**[...**

_But of course. You always know. You are always sure. You do not have even the slightest doubt._

_I read your mind, Eirin. You are a monster. You project a façade of emotions, you swear when you want others to think you are angry… but inside, there is only logic, like you are an intricate clockwork mechanism._

_You just learned to hide it all so well over the years. And this is why Reimu had no chance. Because you gave up on her. Because you calculated her chances. Because you never believed._

_But I will not give up even now. Even after she forgot about me for ninety years. I will believe that one day, Kanako-sama will return and fulfill all her promises. And till that day I am going to build my own future, a future filled with hope and faith._

_Or does it sicken you? Will you enter my palace and kill me, like you wanted to all those years ago? Will you kill me because I dare to believe? Will you kill my sister too, just to make a complete set while you're at it? Will you win, just to prove a point?_

_54.__ Qg1-f2 check_

**...]**

**Satori, I am not a monster and I am not going to kill you. You just have to understand that Gensokyo is never going to change, no matter what I, you, Yukari or anyone does. ****You even believed it once, and wrote it in this book long ago, remember? Gensokyo has its own path, just as Earth and Moon civilizations have, and trying shoehorn a school into hell is pointless. I just don't want to see you wasting your life on something like that.**

**I think this chess match symbolizes what we all did over the course of this century. A string of mistakes that started with murder, a blind charge forward without thinking ahead. I think it would be unfair to end it with a victory of a villain.**

**In fact, nobody can win in a situation like this. People just get hurt, and nothing is resolved in the end. Unfair, depressing, and yet so life-like and realistic.**

**When this match ends, I'd like you to keep the book. Read sometimes from it, and learn from the mistakes all of us did. This is all I can ask for.**

**55. Kf7-g7 **

**[...**

_55. Qf2-g1 __check_

**...]**

**56. Kg7-f7 **

**[...**

_56. __Qg1-f2 check_

**...]**

**57. Kf7-g7 **

**[...**

_57__. Qf2-g1 check_

**...]**

**58. Kg7-f7**

**Perpetual check. Draw.**

**/ / /**


End file.
